Renounced Children
by ariella411
Summary: Brea Lanston was sent to Earth with the 100. But unlike most of the delinquents, Brea will do anything in her power to make sure that the people on the Ark know that it's safe to return to Earth; even if it means teaming up with the chancellors son and standing up to a power hungry stowaway. Pairings will be made as story progresses.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: I only own my OC. Brea will resemble Lily Collins. I apologize for any mistakes.**

**The Return**

I dropped my eyes to the grass below. I had watched all 99 kids jump down from the drop ship yet I still hesitated. With a deep breath, I landed on the green turf surrounding me.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" A boy came up beside me. I forced a believable smile and nodded.

"Yes." I responded quietly as I just began to take in my surroundings. There was grass and trees everywhere. It was nice to see so much green after growing up being surrounded by nothing but rusting metal.

"I'm Jasper." The kid held out a hand. I raised an eyebrow when I saw that it was already covered in dirt.

Jasper seemed to realize his mistake and wiped his hand over his shirt, cleaning off the layer of dirt. I gave a short laugh and fit my hand in his. Unlike what I had expected Jasper bent over slightly and placed a light kiss on the top of my hand. I couldn't help but smile at such a noble act.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Jasper. I'm Brea Lanston." I said and gave a short curtsy.

"Milady." Jasper replied with a charming smile as his eyes met mine. It was the first time I noticed that his eyes were a deep chocolate brown color; the same color as his hair. He straightened up and squared his shoulders, adding a couple inches to his skinny frame.

"Did your mother teach you those manners or did you pick that up during your time in the Sky Box?" My smile stayed on my lips as I turned my attention back to the wildlife around me.

"My mother, bless her heart." Jasper sighed quietly. I wasn't sure if it was the way he said it or the sigh but something made me think that his mother was no longer living on the ark. I didn't try to pry to figure out if I was right.

"You know that you don't have to hang out with me just because I'm the new girl." I glanced at Jasper but I made sure that my eyes didn't linger for too long.

"Please. It's an honor to be the first real friend of the chief's daughter." Jasper paused as he shoved his hands into his pockets. I felt my heart drop into my stomach but I kept my eyes on the trees ahead. He leaned sideways towards me an inch and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Mainly because I just wanted to know if I could buy you a beer in a couple years. You know, after we build a bar."

I gave a real laugh for the first in days. "If we live that long, I would love to."

"Great." My new friend snapped his fingers as he turned them into imaginary guns. He pointed them at me as he put some distance between us. "It's a date."

I bit my bottom lip as I finally pushed away the nerves and started exploring what Earth had to offer. It only took me a few minutes to figure out that unless I wanted to venture away from the main group, it wasn't much. While most of the other delinquents continued to scamper through the forest uncontrollably, I settled down on a fallen tree a couple feet away from the celebration. I pushed myself back enough so my feet didn't touch the ground and I could swing them below me for a distraction.

"You might want to get up." A female voice cut through the yelling behind me. I didn't have to look around for the speaker. The blonde was standing a few feet in front of me beside a boy with shaggy hair. "You're sitting on poisonous moss."

I jumped off the tree with such haste that I nearly fell. I managed to steady myself before I could experience my first really embarrassing moment on Earth.

"Thanks." I muttered as I glanced back at the log. The green growth on the top didn't look too dangerous when I sat down. I decided to never again judge a book by its cover, especially on Earth.

"No problem. Just be more careful where you sit." The girl gave a short smile before heading towards the drop ship.

I followed since I didn't want to accidentally sit on another poisonous plant. I stayed a couple feet behind the boy with the shaggy hair so it didn't look like I was stalking him and his girlfriend.

When we all got back to the ship, I went my separate way. I decided to go back inside and possibly pass some time with the most enjoyable activity. Sleeping.

I had just stepped onto the metal ramp when I heard my name. I turned to see Jasper coming towards me with a couple people following him. I stepped back onto the grass after realizing that he wasn't alone.

"You're Brea Lanston?" Another dark haired boy asked. Well, more like man.

"Who wants to know?" I asked defensively with one eyebrow raised.

"We do." The man held out his arms as he gestured to the small group of people around him. I took a sharp breath as a chill spread over my body.

"And who are you?" My question came out more like a threat but I didn't apologize. I got a feeling that showing any weakness with this lot was a bad idea. Especially when you have the last name Lanston.

"Excuse me. I forgot my manners." The man bowed sarcastically earning a couple laughs from his groupies. "I'm Bellamy Blake and I was told that you are in fact the head guards daughter."

My eyes went to Jasper immediately. He met my eyes with an innocent smile. I figured he had no idea who this man was or what he wanted.

"That's me." I responded with a strained voice. I wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as possible but I didn't see an exit sign anywhere nearby.

"Is there a problem here?" A different voice interrupted my intense staring contest with the man.

I looked up to see Wells. I had only met him once a couple years back and hadn't had any real contact with the kid other than waving politely in the halls on the ark.

"Of course not." Bellamy smiled charmingly and in that second I wouldn't have denied that he was quite handsome. "I was just getting acquainted with Bri."

"Brea." I shot him the dirtiest look I had in my arsenal.

"I didn't know that there was a welcoming party on Earth." Wells replied with a certain gusto that earned my respect.

"I'm just trying to get to know the people I'm going to be living with for the next…" Bellamy paused. "…well, who knows how long we'll have to deal with each other."

"A while." Wells stated without hesitation. I could tell that he knew a little more than everyone else here and I wanted to figure out what it was. He turned to me and offered a hand. "Come on."

I took it after shooting Bellamy another look. I had just met the guy and I already knew that we weren't going to be friends.

"Hey, Brea?" Jasper took a couple steps forward. I shook my head quickly and diverted my attention back to Wells. "Brea!"

"Not now, Jasper." I called over my shoulder.

I had expected Wells to lead me to the other side of Earth or as far away from Bellamy as possible. Instead, we stopped five seconds later. He let go of my hand as he stopped beside the blond girl who had warned me earlier.

"Clarke, this is…" Wells started.

"Brea Lanston." The girl finished as she looked up from the map laid out on the ramp in front of her. I realized that the big piece of metal was the only thing separating me from Bellamy Blake.

I forced myself to pay attention to the people in front of me. This girl, Clarke, had known my name and I didn't have an idea as to why.

"Have we met prior to the incident in the woods?" I pointed over my shoulder at the trees. It wasn't necessarily where we had been but she got the point.

"No. I just know everyone who was in the skybox." She explained easily.

I shrugged nonchalantly. "That's convenient."

I didn't like when people bombarded me with questions so I had always tried to control my curiosity.

"A map." A familiar voice broke the silence. "Cool. Where's the nearest bar? I owe someone a beer."

I didn't have to look to know Jasper was the one standing beside me. But he still managed to get me to smile, again.

"Get lost." Wells muttered under his breath. I noted the frustration in his voice and I understood why but I also knew that Jasper wasn't like Bellamy. I was always good at judging people and Jasper was one of the good ones.

"It's okay, Wells." I peered over at Jasper and the stranger standing beside him. "He's a friend."

"He led Bellamy to you so he could try to intimidate you." Wells directed his mild anger at Jasper. "He's one of them."

"Actually, they're with us." A male voice announced which drew my attention. He was taller than me, just like most people, and his hair was a lighter brown than his large eyes. I glanced at Jasper and the friend he had glued to his side.

"Got a problem with that, chancellor?" The same guy probed. I heard Wells give a frustrated sigh and I made the bad decision to step in.

"No one has a problem with anyone. Let's just go our separate ways before something happens that we all regret." The suggestion had seemed like a good idea at the time.

"Who died and made you second in command?" The light haired kid took a couple steps towards me. I subconsciously stepped back.

"Why don't you just leave us alone?" Wells fell into place beside me. I felt my confidence peak after I knew that someone had my back. "We're just trying to figure out where we are."

"We're on the ground. Isn't that good enough for you?" Bellamy's voice had the same effect of nails on a chalkboard. I pivoted my hips to put him in my sights. I was glaring at him when Clarke decided to join the escalating confrontation.

"You heard the Chancellor. We need to get to Mount Weather as soon as possible if we want to survive." Clarke announced as she squared her shoulders.

"You think you guys are in charge?" A girl about my height came up to Bellamy. "The chancellor and his princess?"

Bellamy's eyes landed on me. I raised an eyebrow, daring him to speak ill of me. "Don't forget their guard."

"You think we care about who's in charge?" Clarke scoffed. "If we're going to survive, we need to get to the mountain and get that supplies."

"I have an idea. Why don't you three go and find it for us? Let the privileged do the hard work for a change." Bellamy counters with a snicker. I couldn't stop myself from rolling my eyes, even if I did want to.

"Privileged?" I fold my arms over my chest. "You think I'm privileged?"

"You are, spitfire. There's no use denying it." Bellamy smirks confidently.

I laughed in his face. "Okay. I am privileged or at least I was. You know, until the council arrested and floated my parents just because they disagreed with them. Then I was forced to watch everyone I love get floated because they wouldn't testify against my mom and dad. And when I refused to lie under oath, they stuck me in the Sky Box then sent me down here to die."

The silence that followed could have been cut with a knife.

I forced a sarcastic smile. "I don't know about you, but to me that definitely sounds like a privileged life." I turned to Clarke. "We can go by ourselves. We don't need a bunch of idiotic criminals slowing us down." I glanced over my shoulder for good measure before storming in the wrong direction. I knew I would have to walk all the way around the drop ship but I didn't care as long as it meant I didn't have to walk past Bellamy.

I stopped in my tracks when I heard chanting start behind me. The other prisoners were yelling "fight."

I got back to the ship entrance just in time to see Jaspers friend with the big eyes push Wells onto the floor. I saw that Clarke was trying to free herself from two goons were stopping her from intervening. When Wells struggled to get to his feet, I realized that his foot must have gotten injured. I also noticed that I was the only person with a clear shot to intrude on the approaching fistfight.

I ran past some onlookers and came to an abrupt stop in front of the kid with the big eyes. I was determined to ct as a barrier between him and Wells. It was an unfair fight but I didn't think Big Eyes cared.

"Why don't you start a fight where you might have a chance of winning without sabotaging the other opponent?" I narrowed my eyes and tried to look as intimidating as possible but my small frame made that damn near impossible.

"Why don't you move out of the way before you get hurt?" I ignored Bellamy's question and kept my eyes on big eyes. I felt someone come up behind me and I guessed that it was the one person I would have actually admitted to hating.

"Why don't _you_ mind your own goddamn business? I'll send for you when the adults are finished talking." I met Bellamy's eyes only for a couple seconds but it's long enough for me to see that he was amused by my response.

"Move out of the way, spitfire. This is between me and him." Big Eyes pointed over my shoulder at Wells. I returned my attention to him.

"Well, now it's between the three of us. Whether you like it or not." I said it with more confidence than I felt.

"Your father used to escort people to their execution. I wonder what it was like for the jackass to walk to there himself." Big Eyes smiled cruelly. I had figured people would resent me for my father's job but I didn't expect the anger I'd feel about it.

I punched him as hard as I could in the nose without thinking about the consequences. I gritted my teeth as he fell to the floor, ignoring the pain pulsing through my knuckles. It felt like I had punched a brick wall. "It's bad luck to speak ill of the dead."

Big Eyes was still rolling around on the floor, clutching his broken nose when his goons started towards me with a certain vengeful look in their eyes. I didn't know what good it would do but I raised my fists preparing to fight. I _was_ sure that I wouldn't last too long though.

I said a silent prayer when Clarke's shaggy haired friend appeared between the advancing prisoners and me. I hadn't seen where exactly he had come from but I was relieved that he did in fact show up. My knuckles were already beginning to bruise from hitting Big Eyes.

"You're honestly going to take on a girl one to six?" The guys question made the goons stop in their tracks. They all looked to Bellamy then Big Eyes.

Someone must have signaled them to stop because a couple seconds later, they stormed off in different directs. Two of them lingered to help Big Eyes to his feet and lead him into the drop ship.

"It probably wasn't the best idea to pick a fight with Murphy. I'd say you're either crazy or extremely courageous." The shaggy haired guy said as he turned to me.

"Maybe I'm both." I replied with a shrug. I dropped my eyes to my hand once again as the pulsing started to become hard to ignore. It didn't take a genius to see that I hadn't used the right technique to take down the Murphy kid.

"Hey." Clarke joined us with concern in her eyes. "Are you okay?" She took my hand lightly, examining it silently.

"I used my fist instead of my palm." I tried to shrug it off again but I could see that Clarke wasn't buying it.

"It's not broken but you should refrain from using it for a couple days." Clarke prescribed after letting my hand go. I pursed my lips into a thin line as I repeated her words in my head.

"Yeah. I don't know if that's going to be a good idea. That Murphy guy isn't going to just forget that I decked him in front of fifty people." I scanned the dissipating crowd but found no sign of Murphy or his friends.

"Well, you can't come with us to Mount Weather while your hand is like that." Clarke gestured to the injured hand.

"I could just tag along for the company." I threw the offer out in the open hoping they would take me up on it without hesitation. That wasn't the case.

"Wells is also injured. Just stay here and lie low while we're gone." The shaggy haired guy instructed with believable confidence. Wells came up behind me, huffing quietly as he limped.

"How are you and Finn going to carry enough supplies for all 100 of us?" Wells questioned Clarke and her friend.

"98" I mumbled when I remembered the two kids who died on during landing.

Finn spun around for a few seconds and grabbed two kids by the collar. He pulled them forward and spun them to face us. I suppressed a sigh when I saw that it was Jasper and his friend.

"Four of us can carry it." Finn let go of the two additions.

"Make it five." I said unwavering. I wasn't going to let a bruised knuckle keep me from getting away from the drop ship and all the other delinquents it brought down.

"You wont be able to carry anything back with your hand like that." Clarke reminded me politely. I could tell that all she really wanted to say was _"__you're just going to be an_ _inconvenience."_

"Fine." I gave in. At least I had Wells to keep me company. He wasn't my favorite person in the world but he was better than Bellamy and the goons. "At least my other hand is still functional."

A random girl joined our group with a light smile on her lips. "So, let me get this straight. The four of you are going to go marching through a radiation soaked forest only to bring back enough food for maybe half of us?" When everyone nodded reluctantly, her smile grew. "Okay. Count me in."

"What?" Clarke's eyes widened slightly. The group had the same type of reaction. Well, most of us. Finn was still wearing his pretty boy smile.

"With my help you'll be able to bring back more food." The girl argued calmly. I realized that she was the girl who sided with Bellamy during the argument.

Clarke's resistance was obvious but after a few seconds she nodded. "Fine. Come on guys. We need to get going if we don't want to spend two nights in that forest."

I watched as Clarke started to lead Finn, Jasper and his friend, and the last addition towards the trees.

"Octavia!" Someone called out the name and the random girl pivoted to look behind her.

Bellamy jogged up to her quickly. His face was stern but I recognized the concern in his eyes. I had given Skylynn the same look a hundred times before.

"What?" Octavia held up her hands. She was frustrated but only a little. Bellamy was the only one to notice that I was watching. He smiled charmingly as he gave me the _"you mind?"_ look and I got the hint.

I turned to Wells and helped him to a more secluded area. It's not like I wanted to watch Bellamy most likely lose an argument with his sister. I didn't even want to be in a two-mile radius of the guy.

"Thanks for stepping in." Wells huffed as I set him down on a patch of grass. I smiled and dropped into the open spot next to him.

"No problem."

"You said that your parents were floated." Wells stated.

I looked at him with a smaller smile. "A lot of people in my life were floated."

"I'm sorry to bring it up but most of the kids here hate me because of who my father is." He paused for a second. I assumed he was just trying to find the appropriate way to ask the question hanging in the air. "Why don't you?"

I turned my attention in front of me. I smiled when I saw a bunch of prisoners run by smiling happily. I knew the answer to Wells question but like him I had to think about the right way to respond.

"I can't hate you just because your dad happens to be the chancellor." I bit down on my lip as if it would help pin down my thoughts. "No one can change who their parents are…. no matter how much we try." I added with a small laugh.

"Thank you… again." Wells hung his head as he started to fiddle with the grass in front of him.

I shook my head slowly. "You don't have to thank me just for being a decent human being."

"Well, we might be in short supply of those." Wells sighed heavily but I could see him smiling. I decided in that moment that Wells was one of the people I could trust.

I knew there'd be a short supply of that on Earth.

**Thank you for reading. I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of Renounced Children. Please review/follow/favorite.**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I only own my OC. I apologize for any mistakes.**

**Dark Paradise**

My eyes flew open when I felt someone kick my foot. When I looked up, I saw Wells standing in front of me. He held out his hand and helped me to my feet with a swift tug.

"How long was I asleep?" I asked Wells and peered around the darkened camp. Not much had changed but I had found it odd that there was no one in sight.

"A while." Wells answered without much thought. "But that's not why I woke you. You need to see this."

I didn't hesitate to follow Wells when he started to limp around the drop ship. I hurried to his side and offered what little help I could. I knew his ankle would heal faster if he stayed off it but it was unlikely that he would accept the fact that he was temporarily crippled.

As we rounded the ship I saw the shadows that could have only been made by a fire. I narrowed my eyes when people started coming into view. I could see that there was a huge circle of people crowding one large fire but I couldn't make out what someone was yelling.

I felt a little worried as I helped Wells get closer to the crowd. My concern escalated when I was finally able to make out the phrase being tossed out into the air.

"Who's next?!"

It was a simple question but for some reason it scared me. I kept an arm wrapped around Wells and continued towards the prisoners. From what I could tell, most of them were happy about whatever was going on.

When we broke through the circle, we came face to face with Bellamy. That wasn't the thing that caught my attention though.

Kneeling by the fire was a girl about my age. Some guy was pinning her arm to a small rock while Murphy pried her metal wristband off. I winced as it sprung off her. Murphy tossed the band into the flames with a smile. His smile grew wickedly when he caught my eye.

"Who's next?!"

"What the hell are they doing?" I glanced at Wells. I had noticed the metal cuff latched onto my wrist before but I didn't really know what it was for. I had just guessed it was a tracker of some sort.

"They're trying to destroy the wristbands." Wells stated the already observed fact. When I raised an eyebrow he realized he had to give more detail. "The wristbands send our vitals to the ark. If we take them off, the Ark will think we're dying and wont send the rest of our people down."

"Idiots!" I accused slightly under my breath. I realized a second to late that I hadn't said it quiet enough.

Bellamy's eyes landed on me and I could tell that he wasn't just going to let my tiny outburst go. Fortunately, Wells stepped forward before Bellamy could speak.

"What are you doing?" My newest ally directed the question at Bellamy.

The dark haired man laughed lightly. "We're removing the last bit of the Ark we have left."

I decided to hang back and let Wells take the lead in this argument.

"The communication system is dead. Those wristbands are all we got. If we take them off the ark will think we're dying." Wells reminded Bellamy but the news didn't faze him for a second.

He moved towards Wells with his nose held so high in the air I thought it might touch the clouds. "And what if that's what we want?"

His question confused me enough to step back into the firelight. I narrowed my eyes at Bellamy and his goons surrounding him. "Why would you not want the people on the ark to come down here? To know that it's safe to return to Earth?"

"Maybe because I'm sick of following their rules." Bellamy responded as he took a long step towards me. On reflex, I took an even bigger step back.

Wells moved in front of me with an almost silent huff. "Those aren't just our parents and friends up there. They're our farmers, our doctors, our engineers." Wells glanced around the group of people surrounding us. "We need them if we want to survive. And if it really is safe here, why wouldn't you want them to follow us down?"

"My people are already down. Those people," Bellamy pointed to the sky above us. He was pointing at the Ark, "locked up my people. Those people killed my mother for the crime of having a second child."

Bellamy advanced towards Wells. "Your father did that."

I swallowed dryly. I knew what Bellamy was feeling and I knew that it wasn't something he would be able to move past easily.

"My father didn't write the laws." Wells reminded everyone.

"He enforced them." Bellamy glanced over Wells shoulder at me as he paused. "With your fathers help."

I ignored my conscience and walked up beside Wells. My attention and frustration was focused on one person. Bellamy.

I got up enough courage to shorten the distance between us. "My father might have done some horrible things for his job but he was more of a man than you will ever be. He did whatever it took to make sure that his family was taken care of and that included admitting to treason and getting floated by the same man he called a friend."

"Then why are you siding with the chancellors son?" Bellamy raised an eyebrow.

"Because I know what it's like to be hated for something you can't control."

Bellamy leaned down slightly, diminishing the space between us to a couple inches. "And what's it like exactly?"

I wasn't sure if he wanted the truth so I gave it to him anyways. "It sucks."

Bellamy flashed one of his charming smiles, making me exhale abruptly. "Well, down here there are no laws; no one to control you. You can do whatever the hell you want, whenever the hell you want." He straightened up as others called out in agreement. Wells peered around the group then met my eyes for a second.

Bellamy directed his attention to Wells again. "Now, you don't have to like it, Wells. Hell, you could even try to stop it by killing me."

At his words, I watched for Wells reaction but he remained still.

"You know why?" Bellamy's voice increased in volume. "Because you can do whatever the hell you want!"

The crowd started cheering brokenly.

"Whatever the hell we want!" Bellamy repeated loudly. I diverted my attention to the other prisoners. It was no longer just Bellamy shouting. The whole crowd was beginning to join the chanting.

"Whatever the hell we want!"

"Whatever the hell we want!"

"Whatever the hell we want!"

I didn't have to look at Wells to know that he was frustrated as well as concerned. I was feeling the same emotions pretty much, except I might have been a little more worried.

Suddenly, a loud whip rang through the air above us. Thunder.

A second later I felt water hit my cheek. I wiped it away with my hand cautiously. I half expected my skin to start burning but when I figured that the water was just normal rain I looked up at the sky above.

The sky had been clear when Wells woke me but now a thick layer of clouds had moved in as a barrier. I heard Wells try to make a reasonable suggestion to Bellamy about collecting the water.

"Whatever the hell you want," Was all Bellamy had to say.

Wells let out a frustrated sigh before limping away. I turned to follow but someone grabbed me roughly before I could. I spun around to see Murphy.

"Hey, spitfire." He smiled deviously. I couldn't help but stare at his noticeably bruised nose.

"Let go of me." I demanded and tried to yank my hand out of his grasp. It didn't do any good. Murphy managed to keep his fingers locked around my arm and he even squeezed down harder.

"We have unfinished business to settle." He muttered while still smiling.

I looked down at his hand as I tried to figure out the best way to escape. But I noticed that something was missing from his wrist instead.

I nodded at his bare wrist with a smile. "I thought you'd want the ark to follow us down." Murphy raised an eyebrow and I continued as I tapped my own nose with my free hand. "You know, so they could fix that eyesore for you."

"You little…" Murphy started. I realized that I shouldn't have offended him when he raised a fist into the air. That didn't mean I regretted it though.

"Murphy! Enough!"

I knew that the demanding voice could only belong to one person but I still hoped that someone else had stepped up to stop Murphy.

"I said enough." The voice was calmer the second time.

I glanced over Murphy's shoulder only to see Bellamy walking towards us. I bit my lower lip in frustration. I didn't want to be rescued by the stowaway but I doubted that Murphy would have released me willingly if anyone else made the attempt.

"Let go of her." Bellamy instructed as he came up beside Murphy. He didn't even look in my direction. When Murphy hesitated, Bellamy narrowed his eyes threateningly. "Now."

Murphy threw me a hatred filled look and I began to think that I would get off scot-free. That was until he pushed me back with what I assumed was all his power. I would have been fine if the floor wasn't soaked from the now pouring rain but instead of catching my balance, I stumbled back and hit the floor with a quiet thud. A mild shooting pain moved through my back as I landed but I had been smart enough to avoid using my injured hand to stop myself.

I sat up and tossed my brown hair over my shoulder with a huff. Murphy was already gone by the time I looked up but unfortunately, Bellamy was still standing over me. He stuck out a hand willingly but I was rejected the idea of excepting help from someone like him.

I knocked his hand away and pushed myself up. "I got it."

"What? No thank you?" Bellamy watched as I started to try to wipe the dirt off the back of my pants and shirt.

I shot him a look. "I could have taken him."

"Oh, yeah." He nodded unconvincingly. "With your dominant hand injured and all I'm sure you would have been able to fight him off."

"My other hand works just fine." I raised an eyebrow and balled my uninjured hand into a fist. "Want to see?"

"I'm good." Bellamy smiled with amusement. He actually thought I was joking.

"I'm going to go help Wells collect water." I muttered before heading for the drop ship. Bellamy stopped me before I could get far.

He grabbed onto my wrist lighter than Murphy had and spun me around again. But when I looked at him I saw that his eyes were locked onto my metal cuff.

"Why don't I remove that burden for you? It really does make a difference." Bellamy met my eyes. I ignored the turning in my stomach and yanked my hand away as hard as I could. Having Bellamy Blake, or anyone for that matter, remove my wristband was the last thing that I was going to let happen.

"If you want my wristband, you're going to have to pry it from my dead body." I spit before turning on my heels and almost jogging away from Bellamy.

* * *

Wells and I collected as much water as we could but seeing as how all we had to use for containers were large leaves, we didn't actually get much. I had managed to avoid Bellamy, Murphy, and their goons for the rest of the night but I had a feeling I wouldn't be able to do it for a whole day.

"Come on, Brea." Wells said as he helped me up. "We should bury the bodies before everyone wakes up."

We had talked the night before about the two boys who had died in the crash and had decided to bury the bodies away from the camp.

I walked beside Wells as we quietly left the drop ship. We found the bodies wrapped in a piece of the ships parachute. Wells and I split the work of carrying them. He hoisted one of the guys over his shoulder while I resorted to dragging the other. I felt bad but I wasn't strong enough to carry him.

Two hours later the two deceased boys were buried in graves I had marked with large branches. Wells had removed their clothes before we placed them into the ground with the idea that we could share the supplies with the other prisoners.

After some persuading, he let me have the smaller boys pants so I wouldn't have to walk around in my muddied pair. Wells waited while I ducked behind a tree to change. The pants were a little big but they were a lot better than the soggy ones I had before.

Wells led the way back to camp and it was then that I realized his wrist was bare. I grabbed onto him and pushed up his sleeve with the hope that it had been hidden under his jacket. When I saw that it wasn't there at all, I met Wells eyes.

"What…?" I stuttered obviously a little stunned that he would remove his cuff.

"Bellamy and his goons forced it off me last night." Wells explained before I could say anything else. I dropped his wrist and shook my head. I was angry but not just with Bellamy. I was angry with the people who believed he was making Earth a better place for us.

"Who does that self-righteous jackass think he is? The chancellor of earth?" I scoffed but then turned to Wells. "No offense to your dad or anything."

"None taken." Wells sighed. "Just make sure he doesn't catch you by surprise. He has a gun and I'm pretty sure he'll use it if he has to."

"If anyone is shooting anyone, it's me." I huffed before continuing towards the drop ship. "But seriously, who is this guy? I mean what makes him think he's qualified to run things down here?"

"I don't know but don't go starting fights with him. I know you have a lot of gusto but he's bigger than you and stronger." Wells paused. "And he's also gathered a group of followers that will do anything he says."

"Don't worry. I may be careless at times but I'm not stupid." I smiled.

"We're going to have to tell Clarke what he's doing when she gets back…." He sighs before adding, "She's not going to be happy."

"No kidding." I laughed halfheartedly but sobered quickly. "What's the deal between you two anyways? I sensed tension but then I also sensed some one-sided feelings."

"It's a really long and complicated story. I'll tell it to you someday… if we have time."

"Looking forward to it." I responded. I reached over and took some of the clothes that Wells had been carrying. Letting the man do all the work wasn't always necessary.

"Where'd you get those clothes?" The question reached my ears as we passed the entrance to the drop ship. I turned to see one of Bellamy's main goons walking towards us.

"I buried the two kids who died…" Wells told him calmly but I saw his grip on the clothes tighten. I copied his defensive action.

"Great idea. I'll take them off your hands. There's always a market for…" The goon reached for Wells pile but my friend was quicker.

"We share based on need. Just like at home." Wells stepped back and I followed. I saw someone exit the ship out of the corner of my eye and turned to see Bellamy. But it wasn't just his sudden appearance that stunned me. It was the fact that he had forgotten how to put on a shirt.

I realized that my jaw had fallen open slightly a little too late. Bellamy smiled at me and I shut my mouth and looked away quickly.

"We're not at home anymore, chancellor." Bellamy reminded Wells while I just pretended to be interested in my boots.

I heard another pair of footsteps and looked up reluctantly to see who had joined us. A girl walked straight up to a still shirtless Bellamy and leaned in. Bellamy met my eyes for a split second and smirked before turning and kissing the girl. I dropped my gaze again but not before I caught another accidental glimpse of Bellamy's toned stomach and the gun tucked into his waistband.

"Here, we can do whatever the hell we want." Bellamy said aloud. I kept my eyes on the floor and begun to sing a song in my head to tune everyone out.

"And right now, I want this shirt." I looked up when I heard Bellamy's voice in my ear. If he was any closer, I would have done something I would have regretted and most likely punched him for. I met his eyes grudgingly and couldn't find the will power to stop him from taking the shirt I was carrying. I forced myself to look away again without letting my eyes wander an inch. Bellamy leaned down again and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Thanks, spitfire."

I was nervous. Guys who neglected to wear the right amount of clothes always made me nervous. I had my reasons; reasons that I hadn't disclosed to anyone but my parents. Bellamy's closeness made it harder for me to concentrate on my hatred for him. I had to step away from him in order to clear my thoughts. Wells must have picked up on my uncomfortable demeanor because he acted as a semi barrier between Bellamy and I.

Wells reached for the shirt Bellamy had taken but the goon blocked him. Bellamy shook his head.

"No, Atom." Bellamy looked at me then Wells. "If you want it back, you have to take it."

Wells hesitated but Bellamy must have seen my gaze drop to the shirt in his hands. I didn't want to take the only thing that would cover him up but I also didn't want him thinking he could just take what he wanted.

"Come on, spitfire, take it back if you really want it." Bellamy held up the piece of clothing tauntingly.

I started towards him but Wells stopped me. A lot of people had been doing that lately.

"It's not worth it." Wells sighed. I almost gasped when he turned and threw the clothes on the floor.

Bellamy and Atom diverted their attention to me next. I rolled my eyes before walking away in the opposite direction and tossing the clothes on the floor without stopping.

I heard Wells continue to argue with Bellamy but I didn't want to get involved with him again in any way. I shoved my hands into my pockets and kept my eyes on the floor as I walked aimlessly through the trees. When someone grabbed my arm I didn't hesitate to yank it free.

Surprisingly, it worked and I took advantage of my luck and stepped away from whoever grabbed me. I guess I shouldn't have been as shocked as I was when I saw that it was Murphy. Kid still had it out for me.

"Where's your bodyguard, spitfire?" Murphy asked as he closed in on me. "You two have a fight or something?"

"Why are you so fixated on me, Murphy? Is it because I got the upper hand and punched you?" I gave him a sarcastic sympathetic look.

"I believe in karma and you're about to get a big dose of it." Murphy's smile turned devious and I had the two-sense to try to get away.

I only took one step back before a pair of arms wrapped around me and hoisted me over their shoulder. I couldn't see their face but I assumed it was one of Bellamy's goons.

After being carried over his shoulder, the goon dropped me on the floor like a bag of potatoes. I winced as I hit the floor but managed to get to my knees rather quickly. Murphy was behind me before I could really tell what was going on around me.

He held my arms behind my back as he leaned me towards the fire sitting in front of us. I tried to resist but it wasn't working. Murphy was bigger and stronger than me and he had his mind set on revenge.

"Help!" I yelled as loud as I could with the hope that anyone with a conscience would come to help me.

"Not so tough anymore, huh, spitfire?" Murphy leaned me towards the fire more and I the previously bearable heat intensified. I attempted to hit Murphy with my uninjured hand but I couldn't reach him.

"Hey, Bellamy." Murphy loosened his hold on me. "Check it out. We want the ark to think we're dying, right? I figured it would look better if we suffered first."

I tried not to look into the fire. I lifted my gaze to see Wells, Bellamy, and his goon, Atom leading a small crowd of people into the clearing.

"Let her go!" Wells shouted as he walked towards us. He pushed Murphy and I fell back from the fire. Wells helped me up and made sure I was okay before moving me behind him.

"You can stop this!" Wells told Bellamy as he approached us. I stepped out from behind Wells but didn't dare move closer to Bellamy.

"Stop this?" Bellamy looked at me with the same charming smile he always did. "I'm just getting started."

I rolled my eyes but didn't get a chance to speak because Murphy came out of nowhere and punched Wells in the face. I felt someone pull me away from the Wells and Murphy who were then going at it like two boxers.

I watched as Wells showed that he knew how to protect himself. He took down Murphy rather quickly, making sure to punch him directly in the nose to keep him down.

Wells was breathing rapidly as he turned to Bellamy. He pointed at Murphy with a sigh. "You can't control this."

I watched for Bellamy's reaction but he remained calm. When I looked back at Wells, I saw Murphy get up out of the corner of my eye. He pulled out a knife and smiled. If anyone would dare to bring a knife to a fistfight, it would be Murphy.

"Wells!" I pointed at Murphy behind him and he spun around just in time.

"You're dead." Murphy stated as he stepped towards Wells. They began to circle each other while Murphy probably tried to work up the courage to attack.

"Stop it!" I once again did something stupid and stepped towards the fight.

"Don't you dare." Bellamy grabbed onto my arm with such force that I almost fell back. He steadied me before letting me go.

"Wait!" Bellamy yelled as he stepped between Wells and Murphy. He threw something on the ground and smiled. "Fair fight."

Wells picked up the object and I saw that it was another makeshift knife. Bellamy stood beside me again and folded his arms over his chest.

"_Thanks_." I added a sarcastic smile for good measure. "Throwing another knife into the mix fixes everything."

"I'm trying to make things even, spitfire." Bellamy watched me for a second. "Your welcome."

"This is for my father!" Murphy yelled before lunging at Wells with the knife. I shut my eyes before I could see if Murphy was successful. I didn't want to watch anyone get stabbed but I didn't want to leave Wells on his own either.

I opened my eyes after a second and saw that Wells had somehow dodged Murphy's attack. But it wasn't long before Murphy lunged again, this time making contact with Wells arm.

"Stop!" I shouted again and managed to take two steps this time before being stopped. Bellamy spun me around to face him.

"You got to stop throwing yourself into situations where you don't belong." Bellamy's face was sober so I knew he was being serious. I pulled my arm out of his grasp and narrowed my eyes.

"Wells only stepped in to protect me. He's my friend." I looked back at Wells and Murphy. "This is my fight as much as it is his."

"Drop it!" Wells yelled suddenly.

I was impressed to see that he had once again overpowered Murphy and was now holding his knife to his neck. Murphy was struggling to get free but it did no good.

"Wells! Let him go!" The girl's voice that had managed to break through the crowd was familiar.

Clarke stepped through the trees with Finn, Octavia, and Jasper's friend on her heels. I noticed right away that only one person was missing.

"Where's Jasper?" I asked no one in particular. A few seconds passed before Clarke answered.

"We were attacked." Clarke paused. Everyone looked confused, including me.

"By what?" Bellamy questioned as he hurried to his sisters side. I hadn't realized before but she was injured. He helped her into the clearing but kept most of his attention on Clarke.

"Not what. Who." Finn spoke up. I tried to think about a double meaning that could be lying behind his statement but found none.

"What are you saying?" Wells looked about just as confused as me. He had let go of Murphy but I could see that he still had a secure hold on the knife in his hand.

"Turns out, when the last grounder died on the ark, he wasn't the last grounder." Finn explained.

Before people could start arguing, Clarke spoke up again. "It's true! There are people down here, survivors. That means that the radiation wont kill us."

Finn sat down on a tree root. "Bad news is that the grounders will."

"Where's Jasper?" I asked more firmly this time. They had given us information about their journey but the neglected to answer my question.

Clarke's gaze dropped to the floor. "Jasper was hit. They took him."

I didn't have time to question her further because when she looked up again, her attention was locked onto Wells. She stormed up to him, her face ridden with anger. "Where's your wristband?"

Wells stepped back. "Ask him."

I didn't need to look to know whom Wells was referring to.

"How many?"

"24 and counting."

Clarke shook her head. "You idiots. Life support on the ark is failing! That is why they brought us down here! They need to know that it's possible to survive down here. And we need help to fight off whoever is out there. If you take off your wristbands, you're not just killing them! You're killing them!"

Bellamy was the one to talk next but I didn't want to hear another one of his falsified pep talks. I knew he was lying to win allies but the worst part was that it was working. The prisoners believed him and it wouldn't take long for every wristband to just be a hunk of metal.

When I walked away from the crowd, Clarke followed along with Jasper's friend.

"What do we do now?" The friend asked quietly.

I knew that I had the same thought as Clarke. "Now, we go find Jasper."

I didn't care what Clarke had to say about my hand, I was going on this rescue mission no matter what. Jasper might have been a clueless fool but he was a friend and I wasn't just going to let a friend be killed by grounders.

I wanted to fight for my family and friends just like my mom and dad had done. And that's exactly what I was going to do.

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. Please review/follow/favorite.**


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: I only own my OC. **

**Cold Comes the Night**

I walked beside Clarke as we left the drop ship behind us. I could hear Wells footsteps right behind me and took solace in his company.

Clarke had mentioned that we were going to talk to someone before we left but she never said who. I figured it out as we rounding a large log.

When I saw Bellamy kneeling in front of his sister, I stopped in my tracks. Wells accidentally bumped into me a second later and quickly apologized but all I could do is nod understandingly.

"You can't, Octavia. Your leg is just going to slow us down." Clarke told Bellamy's sister before turning to him. "I'm here for you."

It wasn't the words that made me curious, it was the way she said it. I raised an eyebrow but Wells was the one to ask the inevitable question.

"What are you doing?" he stepped forward slowly but Clarke ignored him.

"I hear you have a gun." Clarke continued and Wells looked at me. He knew that I was the one who told Clarke that Bellamy was had the weapon.

Bellamy narrowed his eyes but lifted his shirt just enough to reveal the handle of the gun. I averted my gaze as subtly as I could.

"Good. Follow me."

Clarke's request made everyone look at her.

"Clarke, I don't think that's a good…" I told her in a low whisper.

"Why would I do that?" Bellamy asked her.

She stepped up to him, her eyes full of fire. "Because you want them to follow you and right now, they're thinking only one of us is afraid."

I could tell by the look in Bellamy's eyes that he was seriously considering joining our search party. Clarke took that hesitation as a yes and walked off through the trees ahead.

I grabbed onto Wells' hand and practically jogged after Clarke. I didn't want to be stuck at the back with Bellamy.

"You couldn't give us a little warning before inviting the devil to join us?" I asked when we caught up with Clarke.

She smiled. "He's dangerous and he has a gun. If want to have any chance against the grounders, we need him."

"We still don't have a chance against the grounders, even with Bellamy and his gun." I sighed. Clarke and Wells through me a look. I held up my hands reluctantly. "What?! It would be the four of us against possibly hundreds of grounders."

"Make that five." Bellamy cut us off suddenly. I gritted my teeth and continued past them when I saw that Murphy was glued to his side. "What's the rush anyways? No one can survive a spear through the heart."

Bellamy waved his gun around as if it would help prove his point. Clarke stopped and Wells stepped towards him. "Put the gun away, Bellamy."

Murphy pushed Wells away from Bellamy. "Why don't you do something about it?"

Clarke was the next person to turn and approach Bellamy and Murphy. "I heard Jasper scream when they took him. If the spear hit his heart, he would have died instantly. That doesn't mean we have time to waste."

Clarke walked away and I started to follow but Bellamy grabbed her wrist. "We can go as soon as you take that off."

I realized he was talking about her wristband and quickly moved my arm behind my back to hide my own. Clarke pulled her arm out of his grasp and narrowed her eyes defensively. "The only way the ark is going to think I'm dead, is if I'm actually dead."

My interest peaked when they both stepped towards each other. Bellamy flashed his charming smile once again. "Brave princess."

"Find your own nickname." Finn called out as he came into view. I gave a small sigh of relief. "You call this a rescue party? You have to split up to cover more ground. Clarke, you're with me."

Finn didn't wait for anyone's approval or disapproval. He and Clarke disappeared into the forest a second later leaving Wells and I to deal with Bellamy and Murphy.

After a few seconds of silence Bellamy spoke up. His smile returned as his eyes locked onto mine. "You're with me."

"Ha." I laughed. "Nice try."

I turned on my heels and rushed to put some much needed distance between Bellamy and I.

I slowed down after a few minutes of fast walking through the trees. I didn't know where I was going but I could hear footsteps ahead of me so I knew I was heading in the right direction. I ran my hands through my brown hair as I stepped over a raised tree root.

"You should have seen Bellamy's face when you walked away." Wells sighed as he fell into place beside me.

"I don't really care, Wells." I pursed my lips.

Someone cleared their throat loudly and I looked over my shoulder. Bellamy and Murphy were only a few feet behind us. I gave them a light smile and returned my attention to the trees in front of us.

Wells and I refrained from talking for a couple minutes with only the sound of footsteps to fill the silence. I could hear Bellamy and Murphy whispering to each other and tried not to care about what they were saying.

"You okay?" Wells questioned quietly. I knew that I should have just been truthful with him but instead I smiled as convincingly as I could.

"I'm fine." I shoved my hands into my pockets. "What about you?"

"I'm okay." He lowered his voice and leaned in slightly. "I'm just worried about Clarke. Bellamy wants her wristband and I know she'd rather die than give it up."

"I think Clarke can take care of herself." I shrugged. "And if she can't. She has you… and Finn."

When Wells didn't respond, I looked at him questioningly but he was no longer focused on our conversation. I followed his gaze to Clarke and Finn who had walked uphill a bit. Wells was obviously uncomfortable with Finn choosing her as his partner.

"Finn seems like a good guy." I told Wells thinking it might keep him from disliking the space walker.

Wells glanced down at me. "He's a criminal."

"So are we, technically." I pursed my lip and ran my hand through my hair. I could tell that talking up Finn, a guy I barely knew wasn't going to help the situation. I dropped my hands and walked ahead a bit.

"I'm going to go scout ahead." I called over my shoulder before ducking between some trees. I didn't really like being alone. It allowed me to think too much about the past and that was never a good idea.

I walked on my own for quite a while until Murphy came up beside me. I stopped myself from running away like a scared child and matched his pace.

"What do you want?" I asked but made sure add a little angst to it for good measure. I didn't want him to think that I actually cared.

"Why were your parents floated?"

Murphy's question caught me off guard. It took me a second to arrange my thoughts. "I'm pretty sure I already said why."

"You did but you never said what they did to get floated." Murphy kept his eyes on the floor as he spoke. I was convinced that he wasn't comfortable talking about the whole floating thing but he was the one who brought it up.

"According to the council, they were endangering the welfare of the public by neglecting to obey the council's ruling." I gave the formal description quickly before adding, "but they called it an act of treason."

"I'm sorry." Murphy muttered under his breath so quietly that I had almost missed the words.

"What?" My eyes widened. "I didn't think I'd ever hear those words come from your mouth."

"My dad was floated so I kind of know what you're going through." Murphy explained and I realized that he was just trying to be empathetic.

"I'm sorry too." I sighed and shoved my hands into my pockets. "How old were you? When your dad…?"

"It was two years ago so I was 16."

"Almost my entire family was floated within a span of two months just six months ago." I admitted to him reluctantly.

I hadn't told many people about the details of my families legalized slaughter and I didn't really know why I had the urge to tell Murphy of all people.

"Almost your entire family?" Murphy raised an eyebrow.

I bit down on my lower lip. "Almost."

"So, you have a family member still on the…"

"Murphy!" Bellamy shouted from behind us. Murphy and I both spun around to face him and Wells. Bellamy seemed angry but his voice was smooth when he spoke. "I need you to run ahead with Wells and see if you can help him find Clarke and the space walker. They must have wandered off."

I could see that Murphy was hesitant to obey his leaders order but he did so anyway.

Wells looked at me with concern in his eyes. He glanced at Bellamy then back to me. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine. Go find Clarke and Finn." I waved him off and he followed Murphy a second later.

"Who is it?" Bellamy asked suddenly. I threw a confused look at him. I didn't really know what he was referencing.

"What?"

He sighed calmly. "Which one of your family members is still on the Ark?"

"That's not any of your business, stowaway." I responded and turned on my heels.

"So, you were going to tell Murphy but you wont tell me?" Bellamy matched my pace easily as I continued to walk through the forest.

"Your little green monster is showing." I tried to focus on walking but that wasn't something that needed all my attention.

"I'm not jealous, just curious."

I stopped and faced him again ready to put the subject to rest. "For your information, I wasn't going to tell Murphy a thing about my family just like I'm not going to tell you anything. In fact, I'm not going to tell anybody anything because it is no ones business but mine. Capiche?"

"Okay, Spitfire. Have it your way." Bellamy held up his hands in surrender. I rolled my eyes and walked on for the hundredth time.

I didn't get too far. Murphy and Wells returned from their search with Clarke and Finn right behind them. I didn't have a chance to question any of them.

"We found a blood trail. It has to be Jasper." Clarke told me quickly.

"Okay. Let's go."

I stayed at the front of the group with Finn and Clarke. Wells was a step behind me with Murphy and Bellamy. We were pretty much following Finn. He stopped a couple times to inspect the trail before continuing.

We were pausing by a small river when we heard the moaning from nearby. I was on Clarke's heels as we followed the pain-filled groans into a clearing.

I gasped when I broke through the tree line. Jasper was tied up to a giant tree in the middle of the clearing with blood running down his chest.

"Oh my god." Clarke and I said in the same breath. I stepped forward and Clarke was right behind me.

My stomach twisted as we neared the tree. I wondered why the grounders would just leave Jasper out in the open? It was like they wanted us to find him. I pushed my gut feeling aside and focused on helping Jasper.

"Clarke!" I heard the shouts and turned to see that Clarke had fallen through the ground and the only thing keeping her from landing on a bunch of wooden spikes was Bellamy. He had a death grip on her wrist but I saw that his eyes were focused on the wristband she was wearing. He peered up at me and I saw the look of hesitation in his eyes.

"Pull her up!" Someone else yelled. I jumped forward and helped Finn and Murphy hoist Clarke out of the booby trap while Wells made sure that Bellamy wasn't the next person to fall into the hole.

"Are you okay?" I asked as I kneeled next to Clarke. She nodded but I could see the fear in her eyes.

We got to our feet and looked down into the trap. I pursed my lips when I realized that I had missed the false floor by only a foot. Clarke wasn't so lucky.

I glanced at Bellamy next. I was sure that I wasn't the only one to notice the uncertainty in his eyes when he had been holding Clarke. It was obvious that he had debated on letting her go.

"We need to get him down." Clarke sighed as she stared at Jasper.

"I'll climb up and cut the vines." Finn volunteered first. Wells tried to join him but Finn shook his head. "No. You stay with Clarke… and watch him." Finn gestured to Bellamy.

he just cemented all my crazy ideas.

"You, let's go." Finn glanced at Murphy before heading for the tree. Murphy followed him but only after Bellamy gave his approval.

I crossed my arms over my chest as I watched Finn and Murphy climb up the tree and start to cut away at the vines wrapped around Jasper. Wells and Clarke moved closer to the tree but I hung back a little. I actually wanted to talk to Bellamy.

"What were you thinking?" I turned to him.

"What?" Bellamy narrowed his eyes. I raised an eyebrow since I figured he knew what I was talking about.

"You know what. You almost let Clarke die." I pointed at the hole for good measure.

"But I didn't." Bellamy sighed.

"Why don't you want the people on the Ark to come down here? And don't give me one of those bullshit reasons you tell the other prisoners." I dared to move closer to him despite the fear I was feeling.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Bellamy assured me.

I opened my mouth but never managed to get the words out. A low growl echoed through the clearing, drawing everyone's attention to some shrubbery behind Jasper.

"What was that?" I knew my question was useless but I asked anyways.

"Grounders?" Bellamy responded unsure of his answer.

That's when I spotted the beast. It was big and black and resembled an animal that used to live on Earth called a jaguar. I watched carefully as it crouched low for a second and I started to move towards Bellamy. He was the one with the gun.

The animal started running towards us at full speed suddenly. I tensed up. I wasn't sure running would be much help. It was clear that the beast was much faster than me.

"Bellamy! Gun!" I yelled as the jaguar mutant neared us. I saw Bellamy reach for the weapon but when he held out his hand again he wasn't holding it. He met my eyes and I knew we were in trouble.

I tried to find the animal again but when I looked, it was gone. I jumped when a bush behind me rustled. I clenched my fists and turned towards the beasts hiding spot slowly but it had gone silent again. All I could hear was my own heavy breathing.

I was scared. I wouldn't have even tried to deny it. I was practically facing death in the face and I had nothing to protect myself except my own fists. I was afraid to move another inch. It might just cause the beast to come after me.

I readied myself the best way I could when the bush moved again. The beast jumped out of the shrubbery a moment later. A gunshot rang out but it was a second too late.

I screamed as the beast collided with me. I hit the floor with a loud thud but the pain from the landing wasn't the thing that concerned me. The giant cat was on top of me, snapping its teeth at my face. I screamed again as I pushed my arm into its neck and tilted my head as far away from the beast as possible. I shut my eyes but I could feel its breath on my face. It was begging for the chance to get a taste of me. I pushed at it as hard as I could to keep it away from me but I knew I couldn't hold it off for long.

Two more gunshots rang out and the beast whined before going limp. When it fell on top of me I struggled to get it off but I wasn't strong enough to get the large beast off by myself.

Bellamy and Wells had to work together to push the animal away from me. The second it was off, I felt someone pull me to my feet. Clarke didn't hesitate to wrap her arms around me and pull me into a hug. I was still having a hard time catching my breath and I had to choke back the tears that were about to spill onto my cheek.

"You're okay. You're okay." Clarke repeated in an attempt to comfort me.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" I heard Bellamy shout. "You almost got her killed!"

Clarke and I both glanced over to see Bellamy advancing towards Wells.

"Bellamy!" I yelled to get his attention. "I'm okay."

"Brea…" Clarke's voice cracked as she returned her gaze to me. I looked back at her and saw that she was staring at my arm.

I guess it was the adrenaline or something because I swear I never felt the beast touch my arm but when I looked down saw a giant cut stretching from my elbow to my wrist.

"It's just a flesh wound but I need something to act as a tourniquet." Clarke peered around for a second. She ran over to the bags we had all dropped on the floor and picked up the parachute.

I sat down while Wells helped her cut out a small piece of the plastic material. Bellamy dropped into the spot next to me and warily examined the wound.

"It barely hurts." I sighed as I held it out for Clarke to wrap. The pain intensified as she tied the plastic around my arm but only for a second.

"You're lucky. That thing could have taken off your entire arm if it hit you right." Clarke pursed her lips into a thin line.

"At least I'll have a cool scar to show Skylynn."

I realized a second too late that I had messed up.

"Who's Skylynn?" Clarke, Wells, and Bellamy asked at the same time.

I stood up quickly without using my injured arm. "No one important."

"We got him." Finn called out as Murphy cut the last vine holding Jasper to the tree.

We all helped lay him out on the floor before turning our attention to the jaguar beast. Bellamy and Murphy decided it would be best for us to bring it back to camp as a fresh meal for everyone. I didn't reject the idea.

Finn and Wells carried Jasper all the way back to the camp while Bellamy and Murphy carried the beast. Clarke and I stayed at the back to keep an eye on Jasper.

"How's it feel?" She asked me. I looked down at the wound and shrugged.

"I don't really know. I think I'm still a little stunned by the attack. I'm sure the real pain will set in soon."

"We have to get it covered when we get back or it might get infected."

I ran my fingers through my hair with a huff. "I think that's the least of our problems."

**Thanks for reading. Now i'm thinking of just deleting the story because i'm not sure it's as interesting as i wanted it to be. I want to hear thoughts on the story and where it's going so pl****ease review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**End of Watch**

I flinched as Clarke press the seaweed remedy to my cut. She gave me an apologetic look and quickly finished applying the salve. I held out my arm and she wrapped a piece of cloth around the wound.

"Thanks." I sighed before standing up. The light sitting in the middle of the room emitted just far enough so I could see the outline of Jasper in the corner. He was awake now but it his health was still going to be a concern.

"He's going to make it." Clarke told me as she stood up. I nodded and flashed a believable smile.

"I know." I took one last look at Jasper before heading down to the lower level of the drop ship. I knew he'd be in good hands with Monty and Octavia watching over him around the clock.

I walked out into the night quietly. The sun had already disappeared behind the tree and the nightly chill was setting in. Most of the camp was already asleep but I could hear hushed whispers from where I was standing. I managed to catch Wells as he walked towards the trees.

"Hey. You have to do watch right?" I asked him quietly.

He nodded. "Yeah. Why?"

"I need something to do." I smiled convincingly while I gave a small shrug. Wells tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

"You should go sleep. Monty told me how you and Octavia stayed up all night to look after Jasper." Wells kept his eyes locked on me as he waited for me to respond.

I grit my teeth as I widened my smile. "Actually, Octavia's the only one who pulled an all-nighter. Monty and I both fell asleep for a bit."

"You still need to sleep." Wells paused. "You and Octavia."

I laughed lightly. "Octavia wont sleep until she knows that Jaspers safe. She cares too much to leave his safety to anyone else but her and Monty."

"She likes him?" Wells surprised expression caused me to laugh again.

"Yes. And Jasper likes her too." I glanced over my shoulder at the ship. "They'd be good for each other."

"Everyone needs someone to care about them, especially on Earth." Wells looks at the ship for a second before returning his gaze to me.

"I think most people already do." When Wells gave me a questioning look I offered an explanation. "Clarke has you and Finn. Jasper has Monty and Octavia. Octavia has Bellamy and Jasper. And I have myself."

I smiled at my own little joke but Wells didn't find it so funny. "You have me and Clarke."

"I've been doing just fine on my own, Wells. And plus that doesn't even count. We barely know each other seeing as how we just met."

"That doesn't mean we can't…" Wells started but stopped him quickly.

"Clarke told me you two made up. I guess you're back in the game."

Wells gave me another confused look. "I don't like her like that. We're just…"

"I'm not blind, Wells. I see the way you look at her." I gave him a reassuring pat on the arm. "Don't worry, you're secret's safe with me."

"Is it really that obvious?"

"I don't think she's figured it out yet but I'll make sure to tell her how lucky she is if she does." I glance around the camp to make sure there aren't any inquisitive delinquents nearby. "I can only hope to find a guy who looks at me the way you look at Clarke."

Wells' shook his head. "I'm sure you will someday. You just can't give up hope."

"We're on earth, Wells. There aren't a lot of respectable prospects here." I cover my mouth as a yawn escapes my lips suddenly.

"You should really get some sleep or you'll start getting bags under your eyes." Wells said in a joking manner. I laughed and gave him a light shove.

"Always the gentleman." I shook my head. I began walking backwards to the ship.

"Sleep tight." Wells called out quietly as he started towards the trees again.

"Don't let the grounders catch you." I added before ducking into the ship.

When I got to the second level, I was amazed but happy to see that Octavia and Jasper had fallen asleep. Clarke and Finn were still up but I could tell that it was almost time for them for them to call it a night as well. I laid down a couple feet from Monty and used my uninjured arm as a pillow. I was asleep before I could get comfortable.

* * *

I woke up early the next morning. Too early. But I failed to fall back asleep even after several desperate attempts. I tried to be as quiet as a mouse as I tiptoed out of the drop ship but Monty still stirred as I walked past him.

"Where are you going?" His voice was tired and slurred but I managed to make out the words.

"For a walk. I'll be back soon." I whispered before hopping down the ladder.

I took a deep breath as I stepped outside. I still hadn't gotten used to the smell of fresh air and I took every chance I could get to fill my lungs with it.

I remained quiet as I walked past my fellow sleeping prisoners and waited until I was out of earshot range to let out a heavy sigh. I knew that Wells would most likely still be on watch so I turned in the right direction and went to find him.

"What are you doing?"

The vindictive sounding question made me spin on my heels but I continued on my way when I saw it was just Bellamy.

"Looking for Wells." I responded impassively as I jumped down from a small overhang. "What are you doing?"

"Brea, wait." Bellamy's voice closed in on me quickly.

He stopped me a second later and turned me to face him. I pulled away but stayed still. "What?"

"You're not going to find Wells out here." Bellamy's face went somber. I felt a small pressure on my chest but ignored it.

"And why's that?" I stepped towards the stowaway.

For once, Bellamy seemed stuck. But I wasn't sure if it was because he didn't know what to say or because he didn't want to say anything at all.

"He was on watch last night. That means he's still out here." I said with more confidence than I felt. "Right?"

Bellamy's eyes wandered past me for a second. It took him a minute to look me in the eye. "No."

"What are you saying, Bellamy?" I tried to hold his gaze but he looked away again so I repeated myself. "What are you trying to tell me? Where's Wells?"

I could hear him swallow before meeting my eyes. "He's dead."

When I heard the words, it was like a weight was being placed on my chest. I forced myself not to believe Bellamy but mind was shouting at me to believe him.

"No… No… no…" I stammered to myself mainly. Bellamy reached for me but I knocked away his hand. "Show me his body!"

He shook his head. "I don't think that's a good…"

"If you think he's dead then you must have found a body. I need to… I need to see it for myself. Show me his body!" I shut my eyes as I took a couple deep breaths. It's always been the only thing that has helped me calm my nerves.

"I can't, Brea!" Bellamy stepped towards me carefully but I made sure to keep the same amount of distance between us.

"Why not? Is it because you don't think I can handle it?" I realized the questions sounded more like threats after I said them.

"You can't! I know he was your friend and now he's dead. It's not something you want to see." Bellamy assured me.

"I've watched more loved ones die than everyone down here." It was my turn to take a step forward. "I am the last person you need to worry about right now. Show me the body."

I could see the uncertainty in Bellamy's eyes but he eventually gave in. He sighed as he faced the drop ship. I stayed a step behind him as he led me to a small temporary tent. Bellamy stopped right outside the entrance but gestured for me to go in. I shut my eyes as I ducked through the opening.

When I finally got up the courage to open my eyes, I regretted it. Lying on the floor in the middle of the tent was a body. It had been covered with a large plastic sheet but the outline didn't leave much to the imagination. I kneeled beside the deceased prisoner and pulled back the sheet slowly. Once again, I shut my eyes before I could see the face.

I had to take a couple of deep breaths in order to build up the audacity to look. I knew that once I saw his face, the situation would no longer just be a theory; it would be real. I would have lost another person in my life without being able to do anything to stop it.

And I was right.

* * *

"How are you holding up?" Monty dropped down beside me. I gave him a short side-glance before returning my gaze to Jasper who had fallen back to sleep.

"I'm trying not to think about any specific thing right now because I know that if I do, there's a chance I might break down and I really don't want that to happen." I pursed my lips together as I hugged my knees to my chest.

"You don't have to hide your feelings with me…" Monty looked at Jasper. "… or him."

"I'm not hiding anything. I'm just doing what I always do. And if it's worked every time before, it will work now." I nod my head slowly and rest my chin on my knees.

"How many times has it worked exactly?" Monty questioned.

"Fifteen." I clarified quietly. Monty must have connected the dots because he let the silence continue for several minutes.

"You might have had to push everything aside up on the Ark, Brea, but you really don't have to do that down here. This is Earth."

"Exactly! This is Earth, Monty. We were told that this was meant to be a fresh start for us but life down here is starting to seem really similar to the life I had up there." I pointed up at the ceiling.

"The wall will keep the grounders out. No one else is going to die because of them." Monty placed his hand on mine lightly.

"You don't know that. No one knows that." I pulled my hand out from under his and stood up quickly. "The grounders could break through that stupid wall easily and we'd could all be dead by tomorrow."

I left the ship before Monty could try to make sense of what I said. I appreciated his efforts to cheer me up but I was already convinced it wouldn't work.

"There are no more water breaks for this section!" Someone yelled above all the noise. I turned to see Murphy push some kids away from a large water bowl. I wasn't surprised that he was back to his old jackass ways. Some boys had mood swings just as much as girls.

"Hey, spitfire. Why don't you pick up a log and do some work around here?"

I didn't bother responding to Murphy. Instead, I turned around and continued on my way.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" Murphy called after me but I ignored him easily.

He used his signature grab to stop me from going any farther and forced me to face him.

"It's your turn to do some hard labor, spitfire." Murphy's lips curled up into a vile smile.

"Let go of me." I dropped my eyes to his hand on my arm.

"And what are you going to do if I don't?" Murphy raised an eyebrow. I pursed my lips into a thin line and counted down from three.

"This." I mumbled before thrusting my palm up into his nose. He stumbled back after releasing my arm and I didn't hesitate to land a kick between his legs. "My dad was the chief guard on the Ark. He taught me how to protect myself from pompous assholes like you."

With that, I went on my way.

I ducked through a small gap in the wall and started to walk the perimeter. I expected it to be deserted this far from camp so I was surprised when I saw Finn walking back towards the wall.

I hopped behind a nearby tree after I realized he was heading in my direction. I thought being stuck with a bunch of criminals would mean I wouldn't have to talk about my past or my feelings but I was wrong. I didn't really want to be alone but I didn't want to talk to anyone either.

I moved around the tree as he passed by and waited until I couldn't hear his footsteps to walk back out into the open. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I saw Finn leaning against the wall in front of me.

"Hey." He smiled.

I pursed my lips into a thin line as I forced a smile. "Hi."

Finn pushed himself off the wall and took a couple steps towards me. "You know there are grounders out here, right?"

I dropped my eyes to the floor for a second while i nodded. "Yeah, I… uh… I got the memo."

"Come on. We should head back." Finn held out his hand for me but I shook my head and moved back an inch.

"If you couldn't tell, I was walking _away_ from camp." I gestured over my shoulder with a weak smile.

"You're not making a break for it, are you?" Finn raised an eyebrow as he glanced around the forest behind me.

"No. I just… I need some quiet and that's the last word you'd use to describe our little establishment."

"You should talk with Clarke. She's pretty upset about Wells too." Finn peered back at camp.

I let out a barely audible sigh and pressed my palms against my thighs. "She has a right to be. I don't. I barely knew Wells."

Finn was obviously a little confused. "Then why are you upset?"

"I'm not upset! I just… I…" I ran my fingers through my hair. "I just don't want to talk right now."

I didn't wait for Finn to question me further. I turned to the forest and quickly put distance between Finn and myself.

"Brea…" I heard him call after me.

I stopped and faced him. "Finn, I am begging you to just let me go. I'll be back before nightfall."

"You have friends here, Brea. Friends that want to help you. You just need to let them into your life." Finn stayed in his place.

I shake my head. "People hated me on the Ark because of who my dad was and what he did. And people hate me down here for the same reason. That's not going to change just because I start opening up to people."

"I'm not saying it's going to fix everything but it'll make it easier for you." Finn shoved his hands into his pockets and faced the camp. He started walking away but slowly. I think he was hoping I'd follow him. But I didn't.

I spun on my heels and took a step. My foot must have caught on a tree root because a second later I fell to the floor. I grunt as I start to push myself up onto my knees.

"Are you okay?" I heard Finn ask from behind me. I nodded and brushed off my hands.

My eyes dropped to the floor in front of me. "Yeah. I just tripped over…"

I stopped when a reflective object caught my eye for a second. I reached over and moved weeds away from it. My jaw fell open subtly when I saw that the knife wasn't the only thing lying on the floor.

"What is it?" Finn dropped to his knees beside me. I picked up the knife and turned it over in my hand. I recognized it as one of the makeshift weapons that had been forged from the metal of the drop ship.

I met Finn's eyes for second before looking back at the fingers on the floor. "I think I just found out who really killed Wells."

**Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. As you can see, my OC has some deeply rooted problems and they will begin to manifest in the upcoming chapters. I assure you that I will give out some details of her past and things will heat up a bit. Please review! I need to hear what I'm doing right and what I'm doing wrong. I take everything as constructive criticism and will do my best to fix what I can. Review/follow/favorite if you can! **


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I only own my OC. Sorry for any mistakes.**

**Out Of Sight**

I stepped in front of Clarke as she headed for the tent opening.

"If you go out there and tell them what Murphy did, they'll demand justice, Clarke." I told her in a hushed voice. I felt everyone's eyes land on me.

"And that's a bad thing?!" Clarke's face contorted with anger as she tried to get past me.

I pushed her back lightly. "It is when everyone out there has been raised by the idea that justice means getting floated!"

"They deserve to know the truth, Brea." Clarke paused. "You know it's the right thing to do."

I sighed. "It might be the right thing to do but it's not the smart thing."

"I don't care if it's not smart. Wells would want us to tell everyone the truth."

The tent went quiet as Clarke's words sunk in. I glanced at Bellamy who was still amazing me by staying silent.

Clarke took her chance and sped out of the tent. I ran after her with Bellamy, Octavia, and Jasper on my heels.

I watched as Clarke approached Murphy back. "You son of a bitch!"

"Clarke, don't do this!" I came up behind her but didn't dare to get in her way.

"Do you recognize this?" Clarke held up the knife I had found by Wells' fingers.

Murphy narrowed his eyes. I could tell that he thought she was joking. "That's my knife." He reached for it. "Where'd you find it?"

"Where you left it after you killed Wells last night!" Clarke took a confident step towards Murphy but made sure to keep his knife out of his reach.

Before Clarke brought up Wells most of the prisoners had been working on the wall but now their eyes were locked on Murphy. And they were curious.

"What are you talking about?!" Murphy glanced at his fellow prisoners who were slowly closing in on him.

"You really hated him so much that you had to kill him?"

I barely noticed that Clarke's voice cracked. Murphy looked even more confused than before.

"A lot of people hated him. His dad was the chancellor." Murphy pointed out quickly. He was searching for a way out but I knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

"But you were the only one to get in a knife fight with him." Clarke countered, the fire in her eyes still unvarying.

"I didn't kill him then and I didn't kill him now."

"Wells was killed with your knife, Murphy!" Clarke yelled.

"You don't believe this, do you Bellamy?" Murphy pushed past Clarke and walked towards Bellamy.

I looked over my shoulder at Bellamy and Murphy. I recognized the look of regret in Bellamy's eyes.

"It's your knife, Murphy," was all Bellamy said.

"Is this really how we want to live down here? Should we just let someone get away with murder?" Clarke's voice cut through the silence like a knife through butter. Once again, she made everyone think twice about their decisions.

"Let's float him!" Some random boy yelled from the crowd. Clarke's eyes widened as she looks to me. I purse my lips into a thin line when the same boy repeats himself.

"She wasn't talking about that!" I yelled louder than the boy.

"He killed someone so he should die! Float him! Float him! Float him!" As the kid continues to demand Murphy's death, the other prisoners start chiming in.

"Float him!"

"Float him!"

"Float him!"

The crowd suddenly verges into a mosh pit with Murphy at the center. I'm pushed to the back of the crowd but I shove my way back to the middle. I watch as a group of boys team up on Murphy and manage to bind his arms and legs. They tie a seatbelt from the ship around his mouth to act as a gag.

"Stop it!" I recognized Clarke's frightened voice but no one was listening to her anymore. Everyone was still shouting the same thing.

I lunged forward straight into the mix. I knew it was a bad idea but I could tell that no one else was going to try to save Murphy's life. Not that he deserved it or anything.

"Don't, Brea! You'll get yourself killed!" Bellamy clutched my arm hard. I winced but still tried to pull away.

"I don't need you to protect me!" I shouted after failing to get away from him.

"Well, it seems like someone has to." Bellamy pulled me towards the surrounding throng of people.

"You can stop this! They'll listen to you. All you have to do is give the order!" I pushed at him with my free hand but it doesn't make him free me.

For a second it seemed like he would give the order. Instead he sighed and looked over my shoulder at something. "I can't…"

I was finally able to wrench my arm out of his hand. I turned back to where Murphy was being beaten to see him being carried away.

"If you wont do it, I'll find someone who will." I told Bellamy before pushing past him.

I ran straight for the wall.

I knew that there was only one other person with enough fortitude to stand up for a killer. And I needed to find him before Murphy got "floated"

As soon as I was beyond the wall, I cupped my hands around my mouth.

"Finn!"

I paused and waited for any type of response. When I didn't hear any, I shouted his name again.

I started through the forest, unsure if I was even heading in the right direction. "Finn! I know you're out there!

He had come with me to show Clarke the knife but had left shortly thereafter. He didn't want to be part of deciding how we were to deal with Murphy. But now I wasn't going to give him a choice.

"Finn!" I called out.

"Come on, Brea. I thought I told you about the grounders." Finn sighed as he came into view a few feet ahead of me. He jumped down from a short rock face and landed on his feet with a thud.

"It's Murphy. They're going to float him for killing Wells." I fed him the information quickly. "If we don't stop them, he'll die."

I was somehow able to keep up with him as we followed the sound of people shouting. I could hear the same two words being repeated that had filled the forest for the past couple minutes.

I pretty much dove through the mass of prisoners to get to the heart of the riot. My jaw fell open as I realized the thing hanging from the tree in front of me was Murphy.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Finn asked no one in particular. "Cut him down!"

"You can stop this!" Clarke shouted at Bellamy at the same time.

"This is on you princess!" Bellamy shouted right back.

I watched in horror as Murphy started to kick his legs.

"Charlotte, go!" Finn told a young girl standing a foot ahead of me.

I wanted to fight for the life that was being put on the line right in front of me but I hesitated. It was Murphy's knife and Wells was my friend. I thought that maybe Murphy did deserve to die for taking another life.

That was until the young girl named Charlotte stepped up.

"Murphy didn't kill Wells!" Her tiny voice cut through the shouts. "I did!"

For a second, everything fell eerily quiet as all eyes turned to the child. You could have heard a pin drop.

I was the first person to force my thoughts back to Murphy. I jumped forward and grabbed a knife out of somebody's hand. I hit the rope that was hanging Murphy as hard as I could. The rope snapped but instead of Murphy could hitting the floor, Finn caught him and laid him down.

Before anyone had a chance to question the girl, Bellamy grabbed hold of her and pulled her to one of the tents scattered through the camp. I dropped to my knees beside Murphy and helped Finn cut off the rope still taut around his neck. The second it came off he took another deep breath.

"You're going to be okay." I said in a hushed voice while Murphy was still struggling to catch his breath.

I stood up and took a short look around me. There was a mixture of regret and confusion in the eyes of my fellow prisoners.

"If he was up there any longer, he would have died." Finn whispered as he came up beside me.

I turned towards the tent. "I know."

Finn matched my pace as I walked to the tent where I could hear quiet voices. "Murphy's going to demand to have her floated the second he recovers."

"I know." I repeated.

I ducked through the opening and squared my shoulders when I saw that Bellamy still had a protective hold on Charlotte.

"We can't float her." Clarke whispered loud enough for all of us to hear.

"We can't just let her go scot-free either." I glanced back at Charlotte. "She confessed. And it wasn't just in front of a few people. She did it in front of the entire camp. Some of them are going to demand that we float her."

"That's not happening." Bellamy shook his head lightly.

"I know, Casanova." I turned my eyes on him. "But unless we think of a proper punishment, that's what Murphy is going to want."

"I can handle Murphy." Bellamy sighed.

"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!"

When I realized the shout came from outside the tent, I looked back at Bellamy. "You know he's not going to stop anytime soon."

"Come on, Bellamy! What happened to delivering justice?!" Murphy called loudly.

"Why did you do it?" Clarke turned to the girl.

I watch Charlotte exchange a short glance with Bellamy before answering. "I was just trying to slay my demons! Just like Bellamy told me to!"

"You told her to kill Wells?!" Clarke asked Bellamy.

He shook his head, obviously confused by Charlotte's reasoning. "She misunderstood me." He grabbed the girls shoulders. "That's not what I meant, Charlotte!"

"You want to build a society, Princess?! Let's build a society!" Murphy shouted even louder. "Bring her out!"

"Do any of you have any other bright ideas?" Bellamy straightened up as he ran a hand over his hair.

"Turn her over to him." I said with a shrug. When everyone turned to me with bewildered looks, I held up my hands. "What else do you think we could do? Murphy wants her floated and he isn't going to stop until it happens."

"We're not floating her!" Bellamy told me.

"So, let me get this straight: when you thought it was Murphy, one of your best friends, who killed Wells, you were willing to float him without a second a thought. But now that it's this little girl, you want to handle it the right way?"

No one responded so I continued. "She's not just a little girl anymore, Bellamy! You can't just stand there and pretend that you'll be able to protect her from this her entire life. She killed someone. She killed Wells. She's a murderer!"

"Bring out the girl, Bellamy!" Murphy repeated himself.

"And you think she deserves to die for it?" Bellamy steps up to me, leaving only a few inches of space. I move back to add distance.

"No! But we can't just let people think they can get away with murder." I folded my arms over my chest.

"Bellamy!" Murphy paused. "Bring. Her. Out!"

"Please don't let them hurt me, Bellamy." Charlotte scooted closer to him, knowing he would protect her.

"Just stay with them. I'll be right back." Bellamy told her quickly before walking out of the tent.

The tent went quiet as Bellamy started hashing it out with Murphy. As I listened, I realized that this wasn't going to end well. I think Clarke had the same notion because when I looked at her, she nodded.

The last thing I wanted to do was protect Wells murderer but I also didn't want her to die for her crime.

"Come on." I gestured towards the other exit. Charlotte looked up at me with her big brown eyes.

"Where are we going?"

"Somewhere Murphy wont find you." I pursed my lips into a thin line. "Hopefully."

Clarke led the way to the wall. I stayed at the back of the line and made sure to glance over my shoulder every minute.

As we slipped through a gap in the wall, I heard one last shout from Murphy.

"Where are you, Charlotte?! I know you can hear me!"

"You might want to pick up the pace. Sounds like Murphy's about to begin his manhunt." I whispered loud enough so Clarke could hear me.

"I know where we could go." Finn said before taking the lead.

I walked behind Charlotte for about a half hour. We came to an abrupt stop when she tried to hold Clarke's hand. I watched, as Clarke made sure Charlotte knew that she would not be so easily forgiven.

"You can't just kill people to make yourself feel better!" Clarke shouted a little too loud.

Finn stepped towards them. "Clarke, she's just a little a girl."

I could hear someone calling out in the distance but it wasn't until a few seconds later that I made out the words.

"Charlotte! I know you're out there!" I recognized Murphy's voice immediately.

"We need to run." Clarke turned away from Charlotte and continued up the small hill in front of us.

"I have a better idea." Finn smiled at us before kneeling by a tree. He put his hands on something that looked like a metal wheel and turned it. A small circular door popped open. "Get in."

I didn't hesitate to climb down the ladder that led to a dark room. Clarke, Charlotte, and Finn filed in after me but I heard one last threat from Murphy before the door shut.

"They wont be able to protect you forever!"

* * *

We settled down rather quickly. Finn and Clarke decided to take the couch while I shared the bunk bed with Charlotte. I made sure to get the bottom bunk.

It took a while but the bunker finally fell silent with the exception of some light breathing. I tried to force myself to rest my eyes but found myself only staring at the bottom of Charlotte's bed.

I guess it was a good thing that I couldn't sleep because if I had, I wouldn't have heard Charlotte try to escape. She walked like death; gracefully and silently. She must have thought I was asleep because she took her time tiptoeing to the ladder.

I grabbed her before she could start climbing.

"Where are you going?" I spoke as quietly as I could without being inaudible.

"I have to go, Brea." Charlotte looked at me with pleading eyes. "I can't let you guys get hurt because of me."

"No one is going to get hurt, Charlotte." I promised as I crouched in front of her.

"But Murphy…" She glanced over her shoulder. I grabbed her shoulders lightly to pull her attention back to me.

"Murphy isn't going to be a problem if you stay here."

"You said it yourself; he's not going to stop." Charlotte dropped her eyes to the floor.

I hated that my words were being used against me in an argument but I couldn't deny that I had said it. "He wont but that we can protect you from him if you stay here."

"And who's going to protect you if he finds us here." Charlotte's eyes moved to something behind me. "Finn would protect Clarke no matter what but what about you?"

I peeked over my shoulder and saw that she was staring at Clarke and Finn who were cozying up to each other on the couch. I turned back to her with a determined look. "I can protect myself."

"So can I." She matched my determination with ease.

I pursed my lips into a thin line as I gave a short laugh. "You remind me a lot of someone I know."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly. "Who?"

"Someone very important to me." I responded without hesitation.

"What's her name?" Charlotte questioned quietly. I hesitated this time.

I hated thinking about her and saying her name aloud made it worse. But I swallowed the pain anyways. "Skylynn."

"Is she your sister?" Charlotte lowered her voice even more.

I sighed heavily. "I can't tell you. But she is someone I love very much and just like you, she's always been able to talk me into doing things I don't agree with."

"You're letting me go?"

"If I make you stay, will you ever stop trying to escape?" I waited for her response but all she did was shake her head.

"Then I'm letting _us_ go." I corrected. "I know you can protect yourself but I might need some help."

Charlotte paused for a few seconds before turning towards the ladder. I followed her quickly and shut the hatch as quietly as I could manage. Once we were outside, Charlotte began walking back the way we came.

"You're going to try to stop them from floating me, aren't you?" Charlotte asked as I walked beside her.

I ran my fingers through my messy hair. "I thought that was implied."

"What if you can't?" I could feel Charlotte's eyes on me.

"Then I'll do whatever it takes to keep you alive." I keep my eyes on the moonlit trees ahead of us.

"I couldn't sleep." Charlotte said in a quiet voice. "I kept having nightmares about my parents; about the chancellor floating them. I would see his face every night and then I'd have to wake up and see Wells every day. I couldn't sleep because my demons had followed me down here and I needed to slay them."

"I'm sorry for what you had to go through, Charlotte, but your demons don't exist out here in the real world. They live inside of you. And in order for you to move on, you need to learn how to live with them because no matter hard you try, you will never be able to make them go away. Trust me." I looked down at Charlotte but her eyes were locked on the floor.

"Charlotte! You can't hide forever!"

I didn't need to be told that it was Murphy calling out into the night. I could tell that they weren't too far from us.

"Over here!" Charlotte yelled. I put my hand over her mouth and lowered my voice.

"It might be a better idea to turn yourself in with more witnesses around." I whispered into her ear.

"Come on, Charlotte! We wont hurt you!" Murphy voice had gotten closer.

"I'm over here!" Charlotte shouted again.

Suddenly, Charlotte shrieked. I turned to see Bellamy holding her with a hand over her mouth.

"Seriously?!" Bellamy looked at me as he kept Charlotte restrained.

"It was either I let her go on her own or I go with her." I told him quickly. "I think I chose the better option."

"You could have stopped her if you really wanted to." Bellamy stuttered as he struggled to keep a hold of Charlotte who was squirming to get free.

"She wants to take responsibility for her actions, for her crimes." I paused. "I wont stop her from doing what she wants. I wont ever stop anyone from doing what they want."

"She's going to get herself killed!" Bellamy's voice was harsh but quiet.

"I wont let that happen!" I countered.

Charlotte broke free of him finally and came to stand beside me.

"I don't need you to protect me, Bellamy!" Charlotte told him. "I'm not your sister!"

I raised an eyebrow at Charlotte, surprised by her sudden surge of confidence.

"I'm over here!" Charlotte shouted.

"I'm trying to help you." Bellamy grabbed onto her arm again but she ripped it free.

"I'm over here!" She yelled and I put my hand over her mouth again.

"Can you stop for like two seconds?"

She gave me another pleading look. "Just go! I'm the one they want."

I take a deep breath. "I'm not going to leave you alone out here for Murphy to find."

Charlotte seemed to calm down but she still had the same determined look in her eyes. "Please, Brea. Just go."

She tried to run but I grabbed her arm before she could.

"Hey! Charlotte, listen to me." I kept a firmer hold on her, as I looked her square in the eyes. "I can't tell you who Skylynn is… I… I just can't but I will tell you that I loved her with all my heart and I was forced to leave her on the Ark while I was sent down here to die. I swore to myself that I would never do anything like that again. I know you want to do the right thing by turning yourself over to Murphy and I respect that. Just let me figure out a way we could do it where you don't end up dead."

"I can't let you get hurt because of me." Charlotte pries my hands off hers slowly but holds onto it.

"Does it look like I'm going to let Murphy hurt me?"

"I can't risk it." Charlotte let go of my hand and started to run again. "Here! I'm right here!"

Bellamy was quicker than me. He grabbed her and flung her over his shoulder.

"Charlotte! Come out and play!" It was another threat from Murphy closer than the last.

"Come on, spitfire. We got to move." Bellamy huffed as he fought to keep Charlotte in his grasp.

We jogged through the forest but I could still hear Murphy shouting from behind us. He was closing in.

"We're not going to be able to run forever!" I told Bellamy as we continued to run.

"Then we'll fight." Bellamy responded without hesitation.

I realized that I had made a mistake in letting Charlotte leave the bunker but if I wanted to keep her alive I would have to be willing to fight for it. And I was.

**Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed the chapter! I want to hear opinions and corrections so please review! I'll have the next chapter up soon.**


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: I only own my OC. Flashbacks will be _italicized_. Sorry for any mistakes.**

**Death Be Not Proud**

"Got any bright ideas?" I asked as I peered over the edge of the cliff.

Bellamy was standing with Charlotte a foot behind me. "No."

"Charlotte! We wont hurt you!" Murphy's voice was too close for us to even try to escape without being seen.

I looked at Bellamy and saw that he had realized the same thing. "Get behind me Charlotte."

She obeyed Bellamy for the first time all night and stepped behind him. A second later, Murphy and his goons walked out into the small clearing.

"I never thought I'd see you two teaming up." Murphy looked at me then Bellamy.

"There's a first time for everything." Bellamy smiled as he shrugged.

"And a last." I added quickly. Bellamy threw me a look but I pretended not to notice.

"Hand over the girl, Bellamy." Murphy instructed.

"If you want her, you're going to have to fight me." Bellamy stood his ground as he pushed Charlotte further behind him.

"You can't take on all of us." Murphy held out his hands, gesturing to his goons.

"Maybe not. But I'll make sure to take some of you down with me." Bellamy threatened.

"What are you planning on doing with her anyways, Murphy? Are you really going to 'float' a 13 year old girl?" I stepped towards him.

He shrugged. "It doesn't matter what I'm going to do. But don't worry, Brea, justice will be served. I'll make sure of it."

"And what is your definition of justice?" I countered quickly.

"Just give me the girl and you wont have to worry about it." Murphy advances towards us.

I take another step, reducing the distance between us. "I want to worry about. She might have killed Wells but she doesn't deserve to die."

"So, it was okay that I was going to die but it's not okay with her?" Murphy gestured to Charlotte.

I looked Murphy in the eye. "I never wanted you to die! I was the one who cut you down! I was the one who untied the rope around your neck! Finn and I were the only people who stepped up to save you so don't you dare say that I was okay with you dying!"

Everyone fell silent for a couple seconds and I could feel their eyes on me.

"Bellamy! Stop!" Clarke's voice reached the clearing before she did. Finn was right on her heels.

"I'm handling this Clarke!" I told her quickly before she could start something she couldn't finish again.

"Just give me the girl!" Murphy demanded as he stepped away from me.

"This has gotten out of hand, Murphy. We need to just calm down and talk about it." Clarke spoke mainly to Murphy but she made sure to glance around the clearing at everyone.

"I'm sick of talking." Murphy reached forward and grabbed me. He pulled me to his chest and put something sharp against my neck. I didn't have to look to know it was a knife. "Give me the girl!"

"No. Don't hurt her!" Charlotte tried to jump out from behind Bellamy but he stopped her.

"Let her go, Murphy!" Bellamy shouted from his spot.

"Please, don't hurt her." Charlotte begged quietly.

"If you come with me I will let her go unharmed." Murphy pointed straight at Charlotte.

"Don't do it, Charlotte!" I told her. I felt Murphy press the knife to my neck harder.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Finn start to inch towards Murphy. He must have seen it too because a second later he turned me towards Finn.

"Stay back or I'll slit her throat!"

"Stop it!" Charlotte yelled and everyone turned to look at her. "I can't let you get hurt because of me. Not after what I did."

Charlotte shook her head as she stepped out from behind Bellamy. He went to hide her again but she knocked his hand away.

Charlotte met my eyes. "I'm sorry."

No one reacted quick enough to stop what followed.

Charlotte turned towards the edge of the cliff and jumped. Bellamy reached for her a second too late. Clarke jumped forward two seconds too late. And Murphy let go of me three seconds too late.

"No!" I heard Clarke shout as she ran to the edge of the cliff. She fell to her knees beside Murphy who was looking into the abyss below. "No, no, no, no."

I wave of dizziness swept over me suddenly and caused me to stumble back but someone caught me.

"Brea…" Finn wrapped an arm around my waist but I pulled away from him.

"I'm fine. I just… I need to…" I shut my eyes and put a hand to my temple when I felt a sharp pain shoot through my head. "I need to go. I need to get out of here."

"Brea, I'm sorry." Murphy's voice was distinct and full of regret. I didn't have a chance to respond. Bellamy was on his feet and charging at Murphy before anyone could stop him. They collided and hit the floor with a loud thud.

He landed several punches. "You're sorry?!"

Murphy couldn't have responded even if he wanted to because Bellamy hit him again.

"You're. The. Reason. Charlotte's. Dead." Bellamy punched him between each word.

Finn let go of me and rushed to stop Bellamy from killing Murphy. As he pulled Bellamy away, Clarke stepped in front of them.

Another sharp demanding pain hit me and I moved back towards the trees. I shut my eyes only to find myself no longer on the cliff.

"_We never wanted you to get hurt because of what we did." My mother cupped my face in her hands. There were already streams of tears running down both of our cheeks. "I'm sorry, baby."_

I realized that it was a flashback when I opened my eyes and saw that I wasn't on the Ark anymore; I was back on Earth.

"He deserves to die!" Bellamy pointed at Murphy.

"No! We don't decide who lives and dies! Not down here!" Clarke's voice was wavering.

"So help me god, if you say the people deserve the right to decide, I will…" Bellamy gestured to Clarke.

I blinked as the pain returned.

"_We need to tell the public. The council doesn't have the right to commit mass murder." My dad's hushed voice barely reached my ears through the kitchen wall._

I started to rub my temple, praying for the pain and the memories to go away.

"I was wrong before! You guys were right! Sometimes it's dangerous to tell people the truth. But if we're going to survive down here we can't just live by 'whatever the hell we want! We need rules!" Clarke spoke clearly but I could barely make out what she was saying. A piercing pain shot through my head again. I shut my eyes and was brought back to the Ark.

"_They're going to come after you too. It's inevitable. You need to tell everyone what the council is planning. They deserve to know. I love you with all my heart, Brea." My father pulled me into a tight hug but it only lasted a few seconds. I screamed as a guard forced us apart._

I cupped my hand over my ears, hoping it would help stop the flashbacks.

"And who makes those rules?" Bellamy's voice was deeper and quieter but I could still hear him.

"For now, we do." Clarke was speaking but I didn't care anymore. I was too busy fighting for my mind to stay in the present.

"So, what we just take him back to camp and pretend nothing happened?!"

I muffled a cry when the pain came back. It was more demanding than before and nearly brought me to my knees.

"_What am I supposed to do? Just keep on living as if nothing happened? As if almost everyone I know wasn't floated? Skylynn has no one! I promised I would protect her and I failed!" I shouted at the woman in the white robe._

I ran my fingers through my hair to push it out of my face. I could feel the sweat starting to build up on my forehead and I wiped it away quickly before another attack could occur.

Clarke looked over her shoulder at Murphy who was still lying on the floor. "We banish him."

I tried not to close my eyes but when they started to burn I was forced to blink.

"_I hereby sentence you to the skybox for treason against the council where you will remain until your evaluation day." I could tell that the Chancellor didn't want to look up from his papers but I kept my eyes locked on him until he did. I wanted him to see what real pain looked like._

I dropped my gaze to the floor and cupped my face in my hands.

"Bellamy! Stop!" Clarke shouted but I couldn't find the will to look up.

"If I ever catch you anywhere near camp, we'll be back here." Bellamy's voice was calloused.

"_You're not crazy, Brea. You're sick." The woman leaned forward and pressed a bottle into my hand. "These will help you get better."_

I dropped to my knees as the strongest pain hit me. I tried to keep my breathing calm but it still came out shaky and sharp.

"Brea?!"

I had to force myself to look up. The pain was increasing by the minute and I knew that there wasn't anything I could do to stop it. I would just have to let it run its course and hope it wasn't a long episode.

"Brea!"

Someone dropped in front of me. I looked up and saw that it was Clarke. Finn and Bellamy were standing right behind her.

I dropped my hands and met Clarke's eyes. I could see the concern in her eyes and knew that the next thing she would do was ask questions. So, I gathered all the strength I could find and struggled to get to my feet. The pain had faded but I knew it wouldn't stay away for long.

"Are you okay?" Clarke stood up as well.

"I'm fine." I clenched my hands into fists when the pain fluctuated. "I just… I need some air."

I turned on my heels and took a step towards the trees surrounding us.

"I'll go with you." Finn offered quickly. I spun back around to face him.

"You can't!" I said a little too loud. I took a sharp breath and lowered my voice. "I… I just… I… I need to be alone for a while."

I didn't have the pain tolerance to wait for them to respond. I ducked through the trees and made sure to walk out of sight before breaking into a run. I didn't know where I was going but I needed to be far from people. I ran and ran and ran until I couldn't feel my legs, and even then, I kept running. The physical pain surging through my body was getting my mind off the pain surging through my head.

Finally, I had to stop. I couldn't make my legs move anymore and I didn't want to.

With heavy breaths I curled up at the base of a tree and tried to do the one thing that helped me escape the pain. Sleep.

It felt like hours but eventually, my eyelids started feeling heavy and I let them close. I drifted asleep as the pain faded for the last time that night.

* * *

I always knew that everything would change after the floatings. But what I didn't know is the huge toll it would have on my state of mind. Time was the only cure that I found to be effective for the pain and flashbacks. And just like the last occasion, time would be the only thing to fix me now.

It took me several hours to find my own way back to camp. My legs were on fire from all of the running I had done the previous day but the pain in my head was gone and the flashbacks had stopped. I knew that it had all been triggered because of Charlotte's death but I couldn't let the others see me like that.

People look at those who are sick completely different than those who are well. My sickness was a weakness that I got to deal with in isolation on the Ark and with the help of a trained professional. But I wasn't on the Ark anymore. I was on Earth and I was no longer able to try to get a handle on my problems in private but instead I had to do it with 98 other teenagers around me at all times. I knew it was going to be hard to keep it a secret but it had to be done.

I slipped through one of the gaps in the wall and headed straight for the drop ship. I should have known that I wasn't going to make it there without being stopped.

Bellamy stepped in front of me but instead of wearing one of his charming smiles, he looked concerned.

"You never came back last night." He said in a low voice as if it was a secret.

"Good observation, Sherlock." I forced a smile moving around him.

"Where did you go?" Bellamy asked as he followed me to the ship.

I turned to him. "Don't worry about it. I made sure that no grounders followed me back."

With that I walked into the ship. I gave a small sigh of relief when I didn't hear footsteps behind me. I climbed up the ladder to the second level, hoping that it would be deserted. Finn and Monty were talking in a corner as I pulled myself up.

"Hey, Phelps." Finn smiled as he looked up.

I gave a short laugh and sat down beside him. "Michael Phelps was a swimmer, not a runner."

Finn shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure he was famous for running."

"My dad used to watch the Olympics tapes hundreds of times. Phelps was a swimmer." I spread my legs out in front of me. The muscles were still burning but it had eased up a bit.

Finn's eyes landed on me for a second. "Then who was a runner?"

"Uh… Deena Kastor." I pulled the name out of one of my long forgotten memories.

"Fine." Finn smiled at me again. "Hey, Kastor."

"That's better." I returned his smile as I hugged my knees to my chest. I looked at Monty who was messing around with some technical stuff on the ship. I never even set foot in an engineer class on the Ark so I didn't even want to pretend I knew what he was doing.

"He's trying to figure out a way to talk to the Ark by using the wristbands." Finn filled me in quietly.

I almost asked him to repeat himself. I knew that the cuffs sent signals to the Ark about our reaction to Earth's habitat but I never expected that we would be able to use them for anything else. I scooted closer to Monty to see what he was working on.

"Could it really work?" I tried to not sound too excited.

Monty peered over his shoulder at me. "If I can find out a way to take off the bands without having the power go out, then yes."

"How long do you think it would take?"

Monty shrugged. "I'm still trying to figure out how these things work. So, a while."

I ignored the urge to stop asking questions. "How would we talk to them?"

"I would only be able to set up a sort of Morse Code but it might take a while." Monty seemed surprised by my interest in the cuffs. He wasn't the only one.

"What's with all the questions, spitfire?" Finn returned to my most used nickname.

I ran my fingers through my hair as I stood up. "Just curious is all."

I hurried to the ladder and hopped down quickly. Someone placed a hand on my shoulder and stopped me from leaving the ship.

"You know that there are people down here who still have family members on the ark, right? You're not the only one." Finn squeezed my shoulder reassuringly.

I guess it had been obvious that I had an underlying meaning to get up communications with the Ark. I didn't want people to start questioning me about my only living relative because if they did, I'd have to start bringing up my past. And I wasn't ready to do that yet.

It took me a minute to respond. I had to convince myself that Finn wasn't one of the people who would use the insight against me. "I know."

I flashed a friendly smile before turning to go on my way again. But Finn had a different idea. He grabbed my attention again, making me face him.

"You also know that you can trust me, right?" Finn paused as he sighed quietly. "I'm your friend, Brea, which means I just want to help you."

"I appreciate it but I don't need anyone's help. I've been getting along just fine on my own." I tried not to sound like a selfish brat but I had a feeling that it was the only way I could sound saying something like that.

"I saw the way you reacted when Charlotte jumped yesterday. You…" He started but I didn't give him the chance to finish.

"I wasn't the only one who was jolted by that, Finn." I stepped back towards the drop ship door. "I just needed some time to myself and now that I got it, I'll be fine. Okay?"

His reluctance to answer was obvious but eventually he nodded. "Okay… but don't forget what I said because it's the truth."

I pursed my lips into a thin line as I smiled. "I know."

I walked out of the ship and took a deep breath.

Wells and Charlotte weren't going to be the last people to die down here on earth. It was one of the things I was certain of. I knew that if I was going to try to live a normal life on Earth, I was going to have to learn a way to deal with death. I had to learn how to deal with my sickness.

I was well aware that pushing through the pain and flashbacks wasn't going to be easy but it had to be done. Not only for myself but also for Skylynn. That also meant that I had to figure out a way to do it no matter what.

**Thanks for reading! I hope everyone liked this chapter. It was kind of fun to write with Brea's flashbacks and having her sickness return so suddenly. That wont be the last time she has an episode or the last of her problems deriving from her past. She has a couple more secrets that she's holding onto that will be revealed as the story progresses. The major events will also be more spread out in this story so I can line everything up without it seeming to move too quickly. One last thing, Finn and Brea will not develop a romantic relationship. While they will grow pretty close, but I assure you that they will remain just friends. On the romance side though, I haven't really decided whom I want Brea to be with so if there are any suggestions, please let me know in a review. All suggestions are welcomed, whether it's about the romances, the friendships, or the characters, etc. Please review. I love hearing the opinions.**


	7. Chapter 7

**The Company You Keep**

I rested my chin on my knees as Clarke finished changing the salve on my arm. The long cut was almost healed but Clarke had convinced me to continue covering it so it doesn't get infected. Once she finished, I thanked her quietly and started towards the ladder leading to the first level on the drop ship.

"Brea, it's late. You should probably call it a night." Clarke called after me. I forced a smile as I faced her again.

"I'm just going to get some water. I'll be right back." The lie came too easily, as it had done for the past few nights.

Clarke narrows her eyes. "You keep doing that."

I pretended that I had no idea what she was talking about. "What?"

"Disappearing until sunrise." Clarke paused. "It's not safe out there, Brea."

"I can…"

"Protect yourself." She smiled. "I know. I just… I think you should stay in tonight. Get a full night's sleep."

"I'm not tired, Clarke." I lied again. I was always tired but I knew I couldn't sleep on the ship with everyone there. I had to leave the camp after almost everyone had fallen asleep and wake early enough to return before everyone woke up. The flashbacks and headaches were worse at night than they were during the day. They visited more frequently, giving me less time to recover.

Clarke was hesitant to believe me and I don't think she ever did. But she sighed anyways and gestured to the ladder. "Go. Just be careful."

"I always am." I flashed my best smile and hopped down the ladder.

I tiptoed through camp and made my way to the wall. The workers had closed up most of the gaps but there were still two that I had found usable. I ducked through the hole between two logs and walked into the forest. I took a different route each night, making sure that it was impossible for anyone to ever follow me.

It took me a while to get to my spot where I had set up a miniature camp for myself. I kneeled by a bush and reached underneath. Wrapped in a piece of plastic was my old pair of pants that I had managed to clean. Most nights I used them as a pillow. I also stored a knife I had just finished sharpening the day before. It wasn't something I had planned on using but it was a smart safety precaution.

I rolled up the pants and placed them beneath the tree I had usually slept under. I laid my head down on the pants before pulling the large piece of plastic over me. I let my eyes droop close as sleep finally overtook me. I knew that I would still be awake most of the night so I tried to sleep as much as I could.

* * *

I woke the next morning with a jolt. I glanced around the small clearing and then up at the sky. I could tell that it was still too early for most people to be awake by the lack of light falling over the forest.

I sighed and forced myself to get up and start my day. I had only awoken twice the night before because of nightmares/flashbacks and two more times because of the headaches. It was the best night I had since it all started again. I decided to take it as a sign that maybe my luck was changing.

As I started to pack up my supplies, I heard a bush rustle behind me. My mind instantly went to thinking that another jaguar mutant had found me. But what were the odds that there were two of those things in such a small radius. The next best guess was that grounders were circling me as I watched the one bush.

I took a deep breath and got to my feet slowly. I still had the knife clenched in my hand so I wasn't completely defenseless but if more than one grounder jumped out at me, I knew I would lose.

I turned in a circle, watching out for any movements in the trees. "Is anyone there?"

I wasn't expecting a response but I did wait to hear any more noises. But nothing happened. After a minute of staring off into the wilderness with a death-grip on my small knife, I decided that the noise must have been made by some small creature that I scared off. I sighed as I turned back to my supplies still sitting by the bush and stepped towards it.

I shrieked when someone grabbed me from behind. They were stronger than me and quickly slapped a hand over my mouth. I started to thrash my arm and legs but my attacker had a strong hold on me.

"Brea!" The person said in a hushed but strained voice. "Brea! It's just me! It's just me!"

I stopped resisting the second I recognized the voice. The stranger, who wasn't actually so strange to me, released me almost immediately. I spun around to face him even though I already knew whom I'd see.

Standing a foot in front of me was the one person I thought I'd never see again. It was John Murphy.

I didn't hesitate to push him. I didn't use all my strength, just enough to make help my point. "What the hell are you doing here?! Bellamy will kill you if he finds you anywhere near camp!"

"I didn't have a choice!" Murphy recovered from my shove and stepped towards me. "I haven't been able to find any food or water the past few days."

"So, you thought coming back here was a good idea?" I raised an eyebrow. "Do you not remember how angry Bellamy was? He will kill you!"

"Not if he doesn't see me." Murphy watched me closely as he stepped towards me again. "I've been watching you the past couple days…"

I ran my fingers through my hair. "That's not creepy at all."

Murphy ignored my interruption easily. "…and I've seen you sneak out every night just to come here and sleep. You even bring stuff with you sometimes."

"Yes. Stuff that people wont miss." I gesture to the pants and plastic sitting on the floor behind me.

"I'm just asking… begging you to please try to bring some food or water with you next time." Murphy paused. "I'm not going to last much longer out here without it."

"Are you on something?! Why in the world would you think I would risk my own safety to help you?!" I snapped at him.

Murphy's face went somber. "Because you know that I didn't want Charlotte to jump. I never wanted her to get hurt."

"You demanding to have her 'floated', Murphy! It didn't sound like you were too worried about harming her." I folded my arms over my chest. I wanted to believe what he was saying but there was a small part of myself that fought to second guess him.

"I just…" Murphy paused as his gaze bounced around, as if he was searching for the words in the trees. "… I almost died when everyone thought it was me who killed Wells. Then, Charlotte confessed and suddenly everyone thought that 'floating' her was too cruel."

He met my gaze finally but it was my turn to look away. "You know why they did that, right?" He responded by shaking his head so I continued. "You were acting like some high and mighty tyrant. You were ordering people around like they were your own personal slaves. You refused to let them have water breaks or any kind of break for that matter. They hated you, Murphy; so much that they were willing to kill you. They saw a chance to get rid of you and they took it. But when Charlotte confessed, all they saw was a confused thirteen year old girl that was scared for her life."

"I didn't want her to die…"

"Maybe not. But you decided to chase her through the forest and put the people she cared about in danger. She jumped because she thought there wasn't any other way to stop it. She thought you wouldn't stop until she was dead. It doesn't matter whether you wanted her dead or not because it happened. It happened because of what how you acted." I pushed my supplies under the bush and turned away from Murphy. I only managed to take one step before he grabbed me roughly and spun me around to face him again.

Murphy kept a hold of me as he talked but it wasn't strong enough to keep me there forcibly. "Brea, I know what I did was wrong and I will always feel responsible for Charlotte's death but I'm not going to be able to survive out here without help and you are the only person who can help me right now. Please, Brea, I am begging you to help me."

"If you're trying to guilt me into helping you it's not going to…" I started but couldn't find the nerve to finish. I pulled away from him and stepped back. "Fine. I'll help you but don't think this means that I hate you any less."

Murphy smiled for the first time. "Thank you, Brea."

"You owe me big time, Murphy. I'm not only going to have to steal food that Bellamy and his goons caught but also find a way to sneak it out here without anyone noticing." I tell him as I pull out my supplies again. I take the knife and carefully put it in my pocket.

"You're saving my life. I'll never be able to repay you enough."

I looked up at him. "Just make sure not to get caught out here. Because if Bellamy finds you hiding out by camp, he will kill you without hesitation and there wont be a thing I'll be able to do to stop it."

"I know. I promise I'll stay out of sight." Murphy glanced around the clearing quickly.

"You should stay here until I get back. No one usually comes out this far." I run my fingers through my hair. "I'll be back tonight hopefully with food and water."

"Thank…" Murphy started but I put up a hand.

"I know." I drop my hand and start towards the edge of the clearing.

"Try not to get killed before you get me the food." Murphy called after me jokingly. I scoffed.

"I'll do my best." I responded quietly before walking out of sight.

I knew that even talking to Murphy would be putting myself in danger but I realized that I didn't care. For some reason, I wanted to help Murphy. I wanted him to survive his banishment and find a way to live on his own. I guess all I really wanted was to see if it was possible.

* * *

I got back to camp before the majority of the other prisoners woke up and slipped through the small hole in the wall. I started towards the drop ship quietly.

"Bellamy was looking for you last night." Monty sighed as he fell into step next to me.

I gave a sigh of disbelief as we both stopped walking. "Are you sure he was looking for me?"

"Yes. He said he wanted to talk to you." Monty told me as I faced him.

I tried to think of what I could have done wrong to earn a talk with Bellamy Blake. "Did he say why?"

"Nope. He just wanted us to tell you that he was looking for you." Monty shrugged casually.

I bit down on my lower lip lightly. "That's odd."

"So, you two aren't… uh… you know…" Monty held my gaze for a second before dropping it to the floor.

I threw him an inquisitive look before realizing what he was trying to ask. I laughed but managed to hide it behind my hand. "Me and Bellamy? No! Not in a million years."

Monty nodded but his facial expression was slightly somber. I started to ask if something was wrong but he stopped me. "I made this for you."

He reached into his pocket and withdrew it a second later with his fist in a ball. He took my hand and placed the object he had been holding in it. I looked down, unsure of what to expect.

My jaw fell open when I saw it was a bracelet woven from electrical wire. The different colored wires went together perfectly.

"Monty, it's… it's beautiful." I stared at the necklace as I ran my fingers over it. "Thank you so..."

I finally looked up to see that Monty was already gone. I glanced over my shoulder and caught a glimpse of him as he disappeared into the drop ship.

I turned back around and gasped when I saw Bellamy standing too close for comfort.

I took a couple steps back. "Don't do that."

"What? Scare you?" Bellamy threw me an amused smile. I smiled back sarcastically.

"Invade my personal space." I corrected him quickly.

"Well, if I didn't scare you, I definitely scared that Monty guy." Bellamy gestured towards the ship.

I narrowed my eyes slowly. "What are you talking about?"

Bellamy sighed before giving me a short explanation. "He saw me walking over here and practically ran to the ship."

I peered over my shoulder for a second, realizing why Monty had run off before I could thank him. I faced Bellamy again and folded my arms over my chest while still keeping a tight hold of the bracelet in my hand.

"What do you want, Bellamy?"

"What's that in your hand?" He pointed to the hand that held the bracelet. I tightened my grip on it protectively.

"None of your business and unless you state yours right now, I'm walking away." I started to turn back to the ship but a light hand on my arm stopped me.

"Hold up, spitfire." His charming smile returned like an old friend. "I need to know where you're heading off to every night."

"Why?" I raised an eyebrow.

"Because people are starting to notice your absence." Bellamy answered without hesitation. I narrowed my eyes again.

"What people?"

"The other prisoners."

I gave a momentary look around the camp. There were some people walking around tiredly but most of the prisoners were still sleeping soundly.

"I leave every night after most people are already asleep and I return before anyone can notice." I inform him while my suspicion continued to rise. "So, who exactly is so curious about my disappearances?"

"Your friends." Bellamy's gaze bounced to the ship behind me before returning to me.

Part of me was surprised. I had started to think that Bellamy was the only person who was observant enough to know about my sneaking out. But I knew that he was probably telling the truth. Clarke had even begun questioning me about it.

"I like to go for late night walks. And recently I've been getting tired before I can return so I just curl up under a random tree and sleep until I feel rejuvenated enough to make the walk back."

I've always been good at lying but I for a second I wasn't sure if Bellamy believed me.

"From now on, take shorter walks." Bellamy orders me with a strict voice.

"I thought we could do whatever the hell we want." I imitated one of his amused looks.

"Not anymore." Bellamy's face was serious now as he stepped close enough to me that I could feel his breath on my face. "I'm trying to make it so we can actually survive down here and I'm not going to let a little spitfire ruin it."

"Don't worry, you don't need me to ruin the perfect little society you're trying to build. I think you're going to do it all on your own." I managed to stutter out the sentence before turning on my heels. I wanted to put as much distance between Bellamy and myself. He made me nervous whenever he tried to get too close and I didn't just dislike being nervous around him. I hated it.

He grabbed onto my wrist suddenly and jerked me back to him. I lost my grip on Monty's bracelet and accidentally dropped it. Bellamy picked it up before I could even reach for it.

"Did that Monty guy give this to you?" Bellamy smiled at me but I could tell it was a half-hearted. "Looks like someone has a little crush."

I gave a frustrated sigh but couldn't find the words to correct him.

Any amusement that Bellamy was feeling disappeared. "You like him back. Who would have guessed? The engineer and the traitor."

I snatched the bracelet out of his hand before he could stop me. "Go blow a goat."

I returned to the drop ship without looking back at Bellamy.

I felt like a weight was put on my chest as I reached for the ladder leading up to the second level. I remembered that Monty was had just gone into the drop ship before Bellamy talked to me.

"Are you going to use that or are you just going to stand there?" I spun around to face Finn. He smiled as he stepped closer to me. "You okay? You look kind of spooked."

"I'm fine." I push the bracelet into my pocket and flash a believable smile. "I was just…"

"Avoiding someone?" Finn raised an eyebrow. I started to laugh it off but realized quickly that he wasn't buying it.

I sighed. "Maybe…"

Finn didn't pry for a name. Instead he just gave me the kind of look that made me want to tell him.

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the bracelet. I held it out in front of him as I explained. "Monty gave it to me."

"You mean he made it for you." Finn took the bracelet from my hand with a small smile.

"Same thing." I kept my eyes on the bracelet.

"Not really." He handed back the piece of jewelry. "He took the time to make it. He put his blood, sweat, and tears into it."

I pushed him when I realized he was joking. "This isn't a joke, Finn."

"I know, I know." He stopped laughing. "He did take the time to make it, though. I think it's reasonable to assume that his feelings have surpassed the friendship level."

"But I don't…" I start but couldn't finish.

"Have you even tried to think of him that way?" Finn asked quietly when he saw that I was struggling.

I shook my head without hesitation. "No. I thought we both knew that we were just friends."

Finn shrugged. "Well, some people take longer to fall in love than others."

"Okay. He does not love me." I gestured.

"Not yet…" Finn teased.

"Stop it, Finn." I pushed him again.

"Look, I think its evident that he has feelings for you. You just need to figure out if you feel the same way." Finn shrugged as he moved his hair out of his face.

"I'm probably just reading too much into it. This is most likely just a… a friendship bracelet." I looked down at the bracelet. "Monty and I are just friends and that's all we'll ever be."

"If you say so..." Finn held up his hands in false surrender.

I glance at the ladder behind me but don't reach for it. Finn steps towards the ladder and grabs the one of the rungs.

"You coming?" Finn looked at me.

"I'll be up in a few minutes." I assure him and walk out of the ship.

I watched over the camp for a few seconds. More people were stirring now but there were still some sleeping prisoners scattered throughout. I jumped down onto the moist grass and started to trek through the turf.

"My brother was looking for you." Octavia stepped in front of me suddenly.

I raised an eyebrow. "I… I know. I already talked to him."

"So he asked you?" She seemed surprised but I was just confused.

"Asked me what?"

"I thought you said…" She stared at me for a second. "Never mind then. Just make sure to talk to him."

She walked past me without looking back. I was still clueless

"But I… I already did." I ran my fingers through my hair.

I continued through the camp with the hope that no one else would try to talk to me. I really wasn't in the mood for more confusing conversations.

"Brea Lanston…?" The voice came from behind me. As I debated on turning around to face the person, I had the sudden urge to ignore them and keep walking. But I decided to be civil instead.

Big mistake.

I recognized the girl standing before me the second I turned around.

My jaw fell open in shock. "Solstice?"

Her punch came quicker than my block. I heard my nose crack as her knuckles made contact. I fell to the floor a second later and by the time I was able to focus enough to search for my old friend, she was gone.

I put my hand to nose as it begun to throb. It didn't take long to realize that I was bleeding. I started to wipe the crimson liquid off my upper lip but stopped when someone offered me a piece of cloth. I took it willingly and cleaned off as much of the blood as I could before looking up.

I suppressed a sigh when I saw it was Bellamy.

"Are you okay?" He asked as he offered a hand. I grabbed onto it and let him pull me up.

"I'm fine." I shrugged and pressed the cloth to my nose again.

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? Because that girl got you pretty good."

"That girl used to be my best friend." I dug my toe into the dirt.

"Used to be?" Bellamy flashed an amused smile.

I kept the towel pressed to my nose as I pushed my hair behind my ear. "Why are you so curious?"

"Because I just watched someone catch you by surprise for the first time ever." Bellamy's smile suddenly started getting on my nerves.

"Of course I was surprised. I thought Solstice was still on the Ark."

"She must have gotten arrested." Bellamy stated.

"I figured that." I pulled away the cloth and tapped my nose. I couldn't help but flinch at the pressure.

"So, why did she hit you?"

I hesitated to answer. Part of me wanted to come up with a quick lie but at the last second I unwillingly told him the truth. "Because my parents are the reason her parents are dead."

"Did they turn them in?" Bellamy was obviously confused but I didn't want to explain the situation to him of all people.

But I did anyways.

"No." I shook my head. "After my mom and dad found out that the council wanted to kill hundreds of people to decrease population, they decided that they needed to spread the word. They told all of our closest family friends and Solstice's parents were part of that group. They were floated along with everyone who my mom and dad told about the councils plan."

Bellamy didn't respond for a while. I tried to be patient but after a minute I gave up. I pushed the towel back to my nose and started to walk away.

I should have expected him to stop me.

"How many?" Bellamy asked quietly.

I pursed my lips into a thin line. "Not including my parents and grandparents… eleven."

"Did you watch any of the floatings?" Bellamy's voice was gruff but when I looked at him, I saw a hint of concern in his eyes.

"As part of my sentencing, I had to watch all 15." I tried to keep all emotion out of my voice but it still wavered somewhat.

His concern became more obvious. "You watched all of them die?"

I shrugged. "I had no choice."

"I'm sorr…"

"I should go see Clarke… about my nose." I gestured to the ship behind me.

"Wait," He grabbed my hand, "I actually needed to ask you something."

I had forgotten about Bellamy's mysterious question altogether. "What?"

"Clarke told me that you were a good shot." He lifted up his shirt to flash the gun in his belt. There couldn't be more than a few bullets left after Wells shot the jaguar mutant.

I gave a small smile. "Better than you, that's for sure."

He laughed sarcastically. "Doubt it. But I am better with the axe than the gun so I wanted you to come with me later when I took some of the boys out hunting."

"Uh…" I bit my lower lip. "I don't do hunting."

I didn't think going out into the forest with a bunch of armed criminals ready to kill ever seemed like a smart idea.

"Fine." Bellamy let go of my hand finally. "If you change your mind, we're leaving soon. I'm taking a different route this time."

I looked up just in time to see him gesture to the wall; the same part of the wall I sneak through every night. Bellamy started to walk away but it was my turn to stop him. If he were going in that direction for the hunt, there would be a big chance of him finding my spot and an even bigger chance that he would find Murphy.

"Wait." I squeezed my eyes shut for a second. "I'll go."

"What about your nose?" Bellamy gestured to my face.

I touched it lightly but I still flinched. "I can have Clarke look at it later."

Bellamy flashed his most charming smile and I couldn't ignore the flip my stomach did in response. "Good. Follow me. Everyone will want to meet you."

I hesitated to follow him but I knew that I had no choice. Murphy was out there and if Bellamy found him, he would be dead before sunset and I couldn't let that happen.

**Thanks for reading. There is probably going be more time between updates/new chapters but I will try to do it at least once a week. I decided to add another OC who knew Brea. She will play a part in revealing pieces of Brea's past and she will definitely be sticking around for a while. And that does mean that there are more secrets to come and the biggest one will possibly be revealed in the next chapter. If there are any suggestions, opinions, or questions please post them in a review. I love hearing what everyone has to say. Review/follow/favorite if you can! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: I only own my OC.**

**Only the Young**

"So, you're her?"

I glanced over my shoulder to see one of Bellamy's goons walking up to me. Earlier, Bellamy had told me his name was Rylan.

I raised an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know what you're talking about?"

"You're the girl who's got Bellamy whipped." Rylan clarified with a light smile.

I assumed he was joking and laughed. Bellamy and I couldn't even be labeled as friends.

But then I realized Rylan was being serious I shook my head. "You've definitely got the wrong girl."

It was his turn to laugh. "You really don't notice it, do you?"

I narrowed my eyes skeptically. "Notice what?"

Rylan flashed a friendly smile as he sped up. "Never mind."

I was confused but I bit my tongue as he went to join the rest of hunting group. I didn't feel like digging for information about Bellamy of all people.

I hurried to catch up to Bellamy and his goons who had ventured even closer to my spot in the woods. I didn't care if they found the spot because I knew that most likely they would have just thought it was a small clearing and moved on. I was afraid that Murphy would be there. If that was the case, we'd have a real fight on our hands.

"Shh…" Bellamy called out over his shoulder.

Everyone behind him paused and an eerie silence fell over the group until Bellamy pointed at a bush nearby. Slowly everyone crept closer to the shrub and drew their weapons. Most of the boys had knives or small axes, all handmade. I on the other hand had two knives and a gun.

Bellamy had insisted that I take a knife as well as the gun and I neglected to tell him that I already had a blade in my pocket. I never thought having too many ways to protect myself was a bad thing.

"On three." Bellamy whispered and they started to close in on the bush. I pulled out my gun silently when Bellamy gestured to the plant again.

"One… two… three…"

Three people sprung on the bush. Bellamy waited until the large rabbit-like animal jumped out of it's hiding spot to throw his axe. He was a second too late.

The animal moved faster than anyone expected. Fortunately I had a small advantage with the gun. I waited to fire until the animal was a foot away from me.

I know I should have been ecstatic when the bullet hit its mark but I couldn't stop feeling a little guilty. It was my first time killing a living thing other than a small plant I had when I was a kid.

I tried to focus on the ground some of the boys picked up the rabbit mutant and stuffed it in a bag. When I finally looked up, I realized that Bellamy was already staring at me. I avoided his gaze and walked over to the only person I was confident to talk to.

"Is that enough food or do we need to keep going?" I asked Rylan quietly. He tore his eyes away from the bag holding the rabbit mutant and several smaller creatures we had caught.

"It's more than enough but Bellamy will probably want to keep going." Rylan said with a shrug. He stared at something over my shoulder for a couple seconds then turned to me and smiled weakly. "I got to go."

He was gone before I could stop him. I sighed heavily and turned around to follow him and the rest of the group.

I jumped when I came face to face with Bellamy. I stepped back in an attempt to distance myself from him.

I clenched my teeth. "You're like the pop-up book from hell."

"Relax, spitfire. I just wanted to tell you nice kill." Bellamy smiled and it almost looked sincere.

I narrowed my eyes. "Thanks…"

"That was your first, wasn't it?" He asked as he folded his arms over his chest.

I nodded once. "It was that obvious?"

"You're still shaking, Brea." Bellamy reached down and grabbed my wrist. He lifted my hand and held it out between us. I looked at it and realized he was right; my hand couldn't stop trembling, even when I tried to force it to remain still.

I pulled my hand away and dropped it to my side. "Yeah, well, killing can do that to someone."

"It was a rabbit." Bellamy seemed amused.

I shot him a look. "That _thing_ was not a rabbit."

"Whatever it was, it will probably taste delicious. Thanks again." He shrugged nonchalantly. I rolled my eyes and made sure to run into his shoulder as I moved past him. I smiled when he had to take a step back to steady himself.

"You know that you only have three bullets left in that thing." Bellamy pointed to the gun in my hand as he fell into step next to me. "Next time I would try to use the knife."

"If you didn't want me using it, why did you give it to me?" I kept my eyes locked on the people walking ahead of us.

"Because Clarke convinced me to let you come with us and she made sure to mention that you were good with a gun." Bellamy explained as we walked side by side.

"So, you and Clarke are friends now?" I tried not to sound to surprised. I didn't want him thinking I cared more than I actually did.

"Your little green monster is showing." He smiled cunningly. I remembered that I had told him that when we were searching for Jasper.

I waved the gun at him jokingly. "I'm not jealous, just curious."

He moved it the gun away from him quickly. "Clarke and I aren't friends. We've just decided to try to get along for the time being."

"Good luck with that…" I sneered.

"Bellamy!" One of the goons called in a whisper from a couple feet in front of us. Both of us looked ahead to see that everyone had frozen in their place.

Bellamy rushed forward but barely made a sound. I didn't even think about following him. I was petite but I was never sneaky. I knew that with my luck, I would be the one to scare away whatever the goons had spotted in the woods.

I watched as the boys started forward together. They were spread out but I could see that they were heading for one tree that was a ways ahead of them. I readied myself to shoot my weapon but quickly remembered what Bellamy had suggested. I tucked the gun into my pants and pulled out the knife he had given me. I was ready to throw but I wasn't as confident with my aim.

I caught something move out of the corner of my eye. I looked to my left and my eyes landed on a large tree. I couldn't tell what was hiding but I could see something sticking out from behind it.

Then it moved again. He moved again. He slid around the trunk as Bellamy and his goons continued towards the other tree. My eyes widened in horror when I realized it was Murphy who was trying to hide behind the tree.

He met my eyes with the same fearful look I must have had. I glanced back at Bellamy to make sure his attention was still on his next kill before shaking my head at Murphy. I tried to get him to leave but he wouldn't budge.

"They'll see me," he mouthed slowly so I could read his lips.

I knew he was right. The chances of him getting away unharmed were slim-to-none.

I tried to think about a way to get Murphy out of the lion's den without waking the lion but I was drawing a blank. The best idea I had was to give Bellamy and his goons a reason to go back to camp but I knew that faking cramps wouldn't work like it had done in school on the Ark. I needed to do something more drastic because if I didn't, Murphy would no longer have to worry about feeding himself.

That's when my eyes landed on a small mud patch in the mist of all the grass. Something clicked in my head as I stared at the ground. The patch of mud was small but I had to make do.

I looked back at Murphy and signaled him to stay hidden. I sighed before breaking into a fast sprint. I ran straight for the mud and didn't let up a bit. When my feet landed in the soaked dirt floor, I allowed them to slide out from under me. I didn't even bother putting out my hands to stop myself. I needed it to look real.

I hit the floor harder than I ever had before and it hurt like hell. And unfortunately it was one hundred percent real.

I yelped as pain seemed to hit me from every direction. I could tell that I hit my head on something hard and when I felt a thick liquid run down the back of my neck I realized that it must have been a rock. My elbow started to sting but it wasn't as bad as my head that had begun to throb.

"Brea!" I heard someone shout and then several pairs of footsteps grew louder as they closed in on me.

"Ow." I squeaked involuntarily when I tried to move. I cleared my throat to gain volume before speaking again. "I'm… uh… I'm fine."

I reached behind my head and felt around on the back of my neck. My fingers landed in the blood right away but I had to search for a second to find the actual cut. I flinched when I stroked the wound.

"No, you're not."

The voice wasn't that familiar. I opened my eyes to see that everyone had gathered in a circle around me. I hated all their eyes on me but I knew it was for the best because it would give Murphy a chance to get away.

"What are you talking about?" I sighed with a forced smile. "I feel great."

"You're bleeding… a lot." Rylan kneeled by my head. I was certain he never touched me but when he showed me his fingers, they were covered in blood.

I groaned, realizing I had possibly gone too far in my self-injury.

"We need to get her back to camp now." Bellamy's voice was calm but I could tell by the look on his face that he was worried. I almost didn't want to see what I had done to myself.

"You might need to carry her. With this much blood loss, she'll probably pass out before we get to camp." A guy whose name I had forgotten spoke up.

I tried to sit up but I moved to quickly. "No one is carrying me." I murmured as I swayed slightly.

Several hands touched my back to steady me.

"You're going to need stitches." Someone announced in a certain tone.

I pressed my hand to my temple. "And how do you suppose we do that? Use a piece of jagged metal from the ship and the stitching from the parachute?"

"Clarke will think of something." Bellamy said as he helped me to my feet. He left his hand wrapped around my waist and while on any other occasion I would have been mad, this time I was silently grateful. The second I stood I had felt a wave of dizziness sweep over me and I would have fallen again if he hadn't offered his support.

"I don't think it's that deep." I went to touch it but someone grabbed my wrist. Rylan shook his head when I looked at him.

"Don't touch it anymore. It might already be infected." He said in a quiet voice as if he was afraid the others would hear.

I sighed as Bellamy started to help me walk. "Great."

"How did you do that exactly?" Bellamy questioned me and I forced a weak smile.

"I slipped on the mud." I gestured over my shoulder and tried to look as embarrassed as possible but it was hard with everything that was happening.

Bellamy slung my arm over his shoulder and lifted me off the floor slightly. I was still grounded enough to walk but I was pretty much leaning on Bellamy for his support.

I glanced over my shoulder at the tree where Murphy had been a minute before. When I saw no trace of him, I sighed silently. He had gotten away.

* * *

By the time we got back to camp, my head had gotten ten times worse. It was throbbing worse than my nose, which I was convinced Solstice had broken with her right hook, and the blood had made its way down my back. I didn't take that as a good sign.

I managed to remain conscious during the walk back but I knew that wouldn't have been the case if we had stayed out much longer. Luckily Rylan must have seen me struggling because he started helping Bellamy before we reached the halfway mark.

I could tell by the glares thrown my way when we got back to camp that some of the girls already didn't like me. I realized that it probably looked like I was just trying to get close to Bellamy and Rylan, who I had to admit didn't make me want to vomit when I looked at them. But what the girls didn't know was that I had been bleeding steadily for almost an hour and it was starting to take its toll on me.

I thanked the stars when Clarke and Finn came out of the drop ship as I was being guided towards it. The look on their faces said it all.

They replaced Bellamy and Rylan and helped me into the ship. I couldn't climb the ladder so they settled me on the first level and Clarke ran to get some things from the second level. Finn sat down next to me and handed me a water bag.

I drank half of it before I handed it back. Finn studied me intently for a few seconds. "You look like…"

"Unless you want to look like me, I suggest you not finish that sentence." I managed to smile sarcastically through the pain.

Clarke returned that second and took the spot on my other side. The concern in her eyes made me want to hug her and tell her everything was going to be all right.

"What happened?"

I took a sharp breath. "I fell… and must have hit my head on a stone or something."

"More like a knife…" Clarke moved behind me and slowly took down my ponytail. She parted my hair and gave me a warning before running some water down the back of my head.

"How does it look?" I asked warily. I really didn't want to know because I already had a sense of what her answer was going to be.

"Um…" She hesitated big time. "You'll be okay but this is going to take some time to heal. Like a lot of time."

"What does that mean exactly?" I narrowed my eyes at the wall in front of me.

"It means no more hunting or running off every night." She mumbled quietly but I heard her loud and clear.

"You haven't told anyone about the bunker right?" Finn questioned as he continued to help Clarke clean my wound the best she could.

"Me? No." I started to shake my head but stopped myself. "Why?"

Finn sighed. "I just wanted to keep it a secret for a while longer."

I pursed my lips into a thin line but didn't have a chance to ask any more questions.

Bellamy came into the drop ship with Rylan on his heels. I figured with Atom and Murphy gone, Bellamy had to choose a new sidekick.

"Keep what a secret?" Bellamy met my eyes.

"It's called a secret for a reason." I shot him a look and broke our eye contact.

"How's she doing?" Bellamy asked aloud.

I pulled my knees to my chest as Clarke repeated her warning to Bellamy. I could feel his eyes land on me again but I ignored him.

I saw how most girls looked at Bellamy when we passed them in the camp and I would never deny that he was attractive but he wasn't the type of guy I would fall for. That put made it easy for me to ignore him.

"So, she'll be okay?" Rylan's voice was calm. He even smiled lightly when I met his eyes.

"Yes. But she needs to take it easy for a couple days while it begins to heal." Clarke said aloud but I knew she wanted me to take her advice seriously.

Bellamy sighed quietly. "What about her nose?"

"Her what…?" I felt Clarke abandon my head wound as she appeared in front of me. She lifted up my chin carefully and looked at my nose. "Oh, my god. What happened now?"

I pulled away. "Nothing. It feels fine."

"It's broken." Clarke said assuredly.

I groaned, annoyed with myself mainly.

I was really clumsy when I was a child. I tripped over everything and couldn't stop running into inanimate objects. It happened so frequently that I had grown use to the tiny injuries I would sustain from my accidents. But I wasn't getting hurt because of my clumsiness anymore. It was just bad luck. At least that's what I kept telling myself.

"Can you fix it?" I raised my eyes to Clarke.

She studied my face for a couple seconds before nodding. "It's going to hurt."

I gritted my teeth as she palpated my nose lightly and yelped when she suddenly jammed it to the left. I heard a faint crack but realized quickly that airway was clearer now. She had worked her magic once again.

Clarke lifted my chin again. "That looks a little better but it's going to take a couple days to heal."

I sighed and plastered on a smile. Finn helped me to my feet when I failed to do it on my own.

"I'm going to go see if I can sleep this off." I sighed as I hobbled to the ladder. My nose and head were still throbbing. My head was ten times worse than my nose of course but there was something else that was distracting me. More like someone.

Murphy must have gotten away after I "slipped" but I was doubtful I'd be able to sneak out to bring him food. He would have to find a way to survive on his own for another day.

"You don't actually look that bad." Finn whispered.

I turned to him. His sympathetic smile gave him away. "Thanks for trying."

"I'll see if there are any extra clothes the next time I go to the bunker." Finn told me quickly. His statement forced me to look down at my outfit. I realized he was right. I looked like I had rolled through dirt.

I smiled and thanked him again. Finn kept a watchful eye on me as I climbed the ladder. I was still uneasy on my feet due to the amount of blood I had lost but I made it up to the second level.

Monty was the only other person in the ship. I smiled politely at him but managed to send him a hint that I wasn't in the mood for talking. Everything ached and I just wanted to find a moment of painless bliss. I knew one of the only ways to do that was to sleep.

So, I curled up on the floor and rested my head on my arm. Somehow I pushed all my worries away long enough for my eyes flutter shut. I welcomed those couple hours of sleep like an old friend.

* * *

When I woke the ship was empty. I looked for Monty but he was no longer working away at his little station. I worked up the energy to push myself to my feet and stumbled to the ladder.

I saw Monty working in the corner of the ship but suppressed the urge to talk to him. I could tell he was working on something important by the way he hadn't even noticed me staring at his back.

I ventured out of the ship with heavy footsteps. I was still a little out of it but I could finally walk on my own without having to worry about taking another fall. I ran my fingers through my hair but made sure not to touch the cut. It was the only thing that hurt. My nose was already feeling a lot better and I knew that Clarke would let me remove the bandage on my arm soon.

The sun was setting as I made my way through camp. But that didn't mean that it was time for sleep. All of the prisoners were still fully awake and it didn't look like any of them were going to call it a night anytime soon.

Except for Bellamy.

My gaze latched onto him as he led two girls towards his tent. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was on the agenda for the three of them.

My thoughts were interrupted when Bellamy caught me staring. He smiled as he winked at me before I could look away and I couldn't ignore the pit of anger that started to brew inside of me.

"So much for being whipped…" Rylan muttered as he came to stand beside me.

"He was never whipped." I reminded him quickly. We both watched as Bellamy pulled his two girls into the tent behind him.

"Maybe not." Rylan shrugged. "But he definitely cares about you."

I stopped myself from rebuffing his statement at the last second. "What makes you think that?"

"You honestly haven't noticed it?" Rylan turned to me with an inquisitive look. I shook my head, oblivious to what he was referencing. He sighed before responding. "He always tries to stop you from doing stupid things."

"That doesn't mean…" I start.

Rylan cut me off before I could finish. "Whenever you're around, he can't take his eyes off you."

"He stares at every decent looking girl who walks by." I remind him quickly.

"You should have seen the way he was looking at you when you fell." Rylan's voice was low but sincere. "You can deny it all you want, Brea, but Bellamy cares about you."

I swallowed. I didn't know what to say or think as I pursed my lips into a thin line.

"How can you be so sure?" I narrowed my eyes slightly.

He smiled. "Because it was the same way I acted around my girlfriend when I first met her."

I could tell by the way he was smiling that he was telling the truth. Or at least he thought he was telling the truth.

Before I could question him further a beautiful girl with long blonde hair walked up. She smiled at me sincerely as she rested her chin on his shoulder and wrapped her arms around his waist. His smile turned goofy as he chuckled.

"I was just talking about you." He turned in her arms to face her and pulled her into a kiss.

I averted my gaze as they continued their greeting and only looked up when I heard her laugh. Rylan turned back to me but kept a protective arm around her waist.

"Brea, this is Delphine." He gestured to his girlfriend. "Delphine, this is Brea."

"Please, call me Delphi." Her smile was contagious. "So, you're Bellamy's girl?"

"No. I… uh… Bellamy and I aren't…" I stuttered before she laughed lightly. I could tell that it was filled with sympathy.

"I was just joking." She leaned into Rylan. "But Rylan did tell me that you guys reminded him of us."

"How did you guys meet?"

It was a boring question but I was honestly curious. There weren't many girls that looked like Delphi on the Ark and I was almost positive that Rylan was from the working class.

"A mutual friend introduced us." Rylan answered.

I smiled but I couldn't help but think back to what Rylan had kept insinuating about Bellamy. Delphi must have been able to read my mind.

"At first, we hated each other… or at least we both thought we did." She paused as she sent Rylan a love-filled look. "Soon enough I realized that I was slowly falling in love with the a boy I had never even thought liked me."

"It took me forever to tell her the truth but once I did, I knew it was the best decision of my life." Rylan was talking to me but he and Delphi were staring into each other's eyes like they were the only people on Earth. Haha.

Delphi finally looked away from Rylan and smiled at me again. "If I were you, I would try to see if it was even a possibility for you and Bell."

I forced an awkward laugh as I glanced at the tent Bellamy had disappeared into with his _friends_.

"Thanks for the advice but I'm already certain that Bellamy and I are never going to happen." I looked back at the couple. They both gave me a look that told me that they thought I was wrong.

"Brea…"

I recognized Monty's voice right away. I smiled to myself before turning around to face him.

"Hey, Monty." I realized that I was relieved to see him, to be able to talk to him.

He returned my smile but I could tell he had something else on his mind. "Can I talk to you?"

Rylan cleared his throat loud enough for me to hear him. I turned back to him and Delphi as they started to back away.

"We're going to go but we'll see you later." Rylan waved politely and Delphi winked at me before they turned on their heels and walked away, hand in hand.

I pursed my lips as I smiled. I faced Monty again with a inquisitive look. "What's up?"

"Can we go somewhere more private?" Monty glanced over my shoulder. I followed his gaze to see that he was looking at none other than Bellamy Blake.

He was hovering outside the tent and I shuddered when I saw that he wasn't wearing a shirt.

That was quick.

I met his eyes for a split second and I could have sworn that he almost looked angry. Then one of his girls reappeared and stepped in front of him. I rolled my eyes when I saw that she was wearing minimal clothing. He finally tore his eyes away when he leaned down and kissed her. No winking this time.

I turned back to Monty, vying for a chance to get as far away from Bellamy as possible.

"Let's go." I smiled at him sincerely.

I don't know what made me do it but I took his hand as we walked away. He didn't seem to mind and I realized that neither did I.

Things were beginning to get confusing.

**Thanks for reading. I know I said that one of Brea's secrets would possibly come out this chapter but I decided to do it next chapter and I can promise you that chapter 9 will be a nonstop roller coaster. Things will get more complicated and Brea will definitely have to make a big decision. Please review/favorite/follow! I love hearing the opinions, advice, or questions.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I only own my OC and flashbacks are italicized.**

**All is Lost**

_I had to get away. I could feel my self-control slipping through my fingers and I knew that I didn't have long before the headache started. And I couldn't fall apart here. Not in front of everybody._

_So I ran like hell._

**One hour earlier...**

Finn's words ran through my head as Monty led around the drop ship to a more secluded area.

"…_he has feelings for you. You just need to figure out if you feel the same way."_

I took a deep breath. Monty was a great guy and I knew that I liked him as a friend at the least. But that wasn't the question I had to ask myself.

I glanced at him as we continued to trek through the greenery surrounding the drop ship. When we had looked after Jasper, Monty was the one who made me want to stay awake. We talked until I was too tired to continue that night and I never got bored. I figured out that even though we didn't come from the same background, we had a lot in common. Monty had managed to make me laugh and it wasn't one of those fake laughs someone does out of pity. It was real. By the end of the night, I knew that he was someone I could trust. But he wasn't just another name to add to the list. Monty did something that no one else had been able to do. He made me feel safe.

Monty sat down and leaned against a metal panel of the ship. I took the spot next to him, making sure to not let go of his hand. I waited for him to say something but the silence continued to escalate.

I cleared my throat as I peered over at him. "What did you want to talk about?"

He met my eyes for a split second before looking back at the ground. I smiled sympathetically. He wasn't the only one who was nervous.

"Finn talked to me today… while you were gone." Monty told me quietly.

I leaned in slightly as my curiosity peaked. "And what did he say?"

"Um…" Monty hesitated for a few moments. "He told me that I shouldn't be afraid to live life to the fullest down here."

"Oh." I bit my lower lip as I gave a tiny nod. "That's good advice."

"Yeah, it was." Monty glanced at me again and I could tell that he wasn't done.

"Is that all you wanted to tell me?" I dropped my gaze to the floor.

He pursed his lips into a thin line. "No. I... uh… I wanted to tell you that… uh…"

I gave his hand a light squeeze. "You don't have to be nervous. Just say it."

"I like you, Brea… and not just as a friend. I really, really like you." He made sure to emphasize the last part.

I smiled faintly. I needed to hear him say it first because I knew that once he did, I would be able to determine what it was that I was feeling. And I did.

When his eyes latched onto mine everything around us faded away. I no longer cared that we were in a camp full of convicts fated to die. I didn't care that we might not be alive in a few weeks. All I cared about was that I was there with Monty.

He didn't wait for me to respond. He took my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine. I had only been kissed a couple times in my life and they never went well. The last guy who kissed me ended up going home with a black eye. This kiss was entirely different. It didn't make me cringe. Instead, I felt safe.

So when Monty pulled away, I didn't hesitate to kiss him again. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist. We pulled each other closer together as the kiss continued. I could feel his fingers strong against my back as I slid my hand up his neck and into his short hair. The kiss was firmer this time, more certain. I knew we should have stopped before it went too far but I couldn't bring myself to pull away.

A few minutes later, I finally moved away from him even though every nerve in my body was screaming in protest. I tried to focus on slowing my heavy breathing as Monty slid his hand into mine.

"That was…" I began quietly.

"Amazing." Monty finished for me. I bit my lip as I looked down at our intertwined hands. I caressed the back of his hand with my thumb slowly.

I took a sharp breath when one name popped into my head .

I let go of Monty's hand and ran my fingers through my hair. My mind began to race as disorganized thoughts filled my head but I realized that it all came together in one single idea: I couldn't let it happen

I felt like a weight had been placed on my chest as I cleared my throat. "I can't do this, Monty. I'm sorry."

His eyes were filled with confusion when he looked at me. "What?"

I pursed my lips into a thin line and forced myself to continue. "This… us… it isn't a good idea."

"What are you talking about?"

"Things like this never ended well for me on the Ark. For anyone, really." I sighed.

"Well, we're not on the Ark anymore. We're on Earth." Monty gave me a small smile.

I returned his smile. "I know. I just…"

"What is this really about, Brea?" Monty put his hand on top of mine and gave it a short reassuring squeeze.

I run my tongue over my lips. "I can't tell you. Not yet anyways."

He grabbed my hand and placed a light kiss on the top. "It's okay. I can wait."

"You deserve better." I shake my head.

"No, I don't. I don't even think I deserve you. But I am willing to wait for as long as you need me to." He wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me into his chest. I leaned my head against him and sighed. I felt safe in his arms and I had a feeling that I always would

"You didn't think I would like you back, did you?" I narrowed my eyes at the floor.

I could feel him laugh lightly. "No. I was almost certain that you would laugh in my face."

I looked up at him, surprised by his response. "I would never…"

"I know. I just… I knew I wasn't good enough for you but I thought 'what the hell?' and decided to tell you anyways." He shrugged as I leaned my head against his chest again. "Mainly because of what Finn told me."

"I love that guy." I said on impulse but quickly added, "He's like the older brother I always wanted."

"Yeah. I have to remind myself to thank him." Monty laughed as he pressed his lips to the top of my head.

A loud laugh erupted through the air followed by some wild shouting. It sounded like the nightly partying was just getting started.

I sat up quickly. "We should get back before…."

"Someone sees us?" Monty asked with a hurt expression.

"I was going to say before all the food runs out." I smiled faintly as he kissed me on the cheek.

He stood up and hoisted me up easily. We held hands as he guided us towards the drop ship entrance.

"Aren't we going in the wrong direction?" I pulled him to a stop slowly and gestured over my shoulder at the growing group of eating prisoners gathering around a large fire. He turned back to me with a knowing smile.

"I have to finish working on the radio tonight."

I raised an eyebrow. "I thought all the wires were fried."

Monty's shoulders fell slightly as he sighed. "No one told you? Clarke let me take off her wristband. I managed to keep it on even after removal and I've been working on patching it through the ship all day."

"We would be able to talk to the Ark?"

"Yes." He paused as he gave me an inquisitive look. "You have someone you want to talk on the ark, don't you?"

"Desperately." I responded in a whisper.

"Can you tell me who?" By the look on his face, I could tell that he already knew the answer.

"I can but I won't." He dropped his gaze to the floor but I quickly pick up his chin. "This has nothing to do with you. I'm the one who isn't ready to tell anyone."

Monty's facial expression softened as he stepped towards me. "Like I said; I'm willing to wait for as long as you need me to."

He rested his hand on my cheek as he kissed me softly. I pulled away and leaned my forehead against his. "I'm the one who doesn't deserve you."

I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulls me closer to him.

"Wait." I put a hand on his chest and push him away lightly.

It was obvious he was feeling guilty as he stepped away. "I'm sorry. I didn't…"

"You didn't. I mean, I wanted to kiss you." I took his hand. "I just..."

"It's okay, Brea." He nodded in agreement. "I should get back to the radio anyways."

"Of course. I'll bring you up some food so we can eat together." I ran my free hand through my hair.

He smiled wide and kissed me lightly on the forehead. "Okay. I'll see you in a couple minutes."

I watched as Monty walked into the ship. I couldn't help but smile when I thought about what had just happened. I ran my fingers over my lips as I sighed heavily. I knew that I had a difficult decision to make and I also knew that the sooner I made it, the better.

I dropped my hand to my side and glanced back at the ship before spinning on my heels. I realize now that I should have expected that Bellamy would pop up where he wasn't wanted once again. But I didn't expect it so I jumped when I came face to face with him.

"You seriously need to find a new hobby." I mutter quietly but Bellamy seems to ignore me altogether.

"Where did you go?" Bellamy questioned me in a low voice. He was angry.

"To talk to Monty." I admitted truthfully but I didn't wait for his response. I walked around him and started towards the main group of prisoners who had started eating their cooked meat.

A firm hand wrapped around my arm and pulled me back roughly. I looked back to see Bellamy glaring at me.

"You need to tell someone the next time you decide to run off with your convict boyfriend." Bellamy narrowed his eyes and I could see that his jaw was tight.

I snorted unbelieving. "Monty isn't my boyfriend and I wasn't aware that I needed a babysitter."

"So, you just make out with whoever's willing?" Bellamy smirked mockingly. My jaw fell open due to shock but I shut it just as quickly.

"Screw you." I tell him through clenched teeth before wrenching my arm out of his hand.

"Hey, hey, hey." Bellamy stepped in front of me again and I somehow suppressed the urge to slap him. "We're not done."

"Fine. Tell me what you have to say so I that I can get as far away from you as possible as soon as possible." I folded my arms over my chest and tried to prepare myself for whatever might come out of Bellamy's mouth.

"That Monty kid wont ever be able to protect you."

"That's all you want to talk about? My love life?" I stepped back from him. "You're unbelievable."

"I'm just giving you some friendly advice. Down here, you can't be with someone who can't protect you." Bellamy says in a certain tone.

"We're not friends, Bellamy, so I don't need your advice. Especially about my love life but thanks anyways."

I made another attempt to get away from him but Bellamy didn't let me get very far because he stepped in front of me again. "You don't honestly think he's good enough for you, do you?"

My frustration instantly turned into anger. "Don't act like you know me enough to make that call. Monty makes me happy and that's all that matters to me."

"You two are together, aren't you?" Bellamy raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Why do you even care? This has nothing to do with you."

"I'm just trying to keep you from making a huge mistake."

"You don't even know what you're talking about." I shook my head.

"He's a criminal." Bellamy told me as if I didn't already know.

"And I'm a traitor." I pointed out quickly. "Sounds like a perfect match to me."

"Look, I was just trying to help you but you can make as many mistakes as you want. I couldn't care less." He turns around and starts towards the fire. I couldn't contain the anger that he continued to fuel.

I stepped in front of him, blocking his escape route. "Monty isn't a mistake. I'm happy when I'm around him and that's all I could ever ask for."

Bellamy held up his hands, mocking innocence. "Whatever you say, spitfire."

I gave a frustrated sigh and threw him a look. "Why don't you just tell me what you think I want since you seem to know all the answers."

Bellamy stepped up to me. He was definitely too close for comfort but then his eyes locked onto mine and I knew instantly that he was taking this seriously. I took a sharp breath when I felt his hand brush against mine.

"You want a love that consumes you. You don't just want to be happy because that would be too easy. No, you want passion, an adventure, and maybe even a little danger."

I tried to talk, to try to come up with some witty comeback but my mind went blank as Bellamy moved even closer to me. Our chest touched lightly but I didn't get the urge to step back.

Just by the way he smiled, I could tell that he knew the effect he was having on me. "You need someone who makes you challenge everything you thought you knew about yourself. But you also want someone who can protect you, someone who has already shown that they can protect you."

Even though my thoughts were scattered and it felt like my heart was pounding against my ribs, I realized that he was right.

I finally moved away from him, putting an extra foot between us. "And you don't think Monty could do be that person for me?"

"We both know that he couldn't." Bellamy closed the distance between us with one short step. I tried to back away but he wrapped an arm around my waist and held me in my place.

I looked away from him when I felt like a weight was placed on my chest. I stared at the ground for a few seconds as I tried to sort out what was racing through my head.

"Monty makes me feel happy. He makes me feel safe and even though you might be right, I know that I like him a lot and that he is the only person down here that I have feelings for. And he cares about me so I don't care what you have to say. From what I've seen, he is the only person who can make me truly happy and I'm not just going to ruin it because of you." I avoid Bellamy's gaze as I talk, knowing that if I didn't, I wouldn't be able to find the right words.

"Are you sure about that?" Bellamy's voice is quiet but persistent.

I dare to look him in the eyes. "About what?"

"That he's the only person you have feelings for…" Bellamy smirks.

My stomach did a flip. "What are you trying to…?"

He didn't let me finish. Instead, he tightened his arm around my waist and pulled me towards him abruptly. My lips crashed into his before I could do anything to stop it.

I didn't expect to feel anything when he kissed me but I did. My heart raced faster than that jaguar mutant that attacked me and my stomach felt like it was filled with butterflies. And the worst part about it was that I hesitated. I hesitated to push him away and I knew he noticed that hesitation.

I shoved him as hard as I could but he only had to take one step back to steady himself. When I looked at him, he was smiling and I knew, I knew he felt the same thing as me.

"You can't just do that!" I snapped before turning on my heels and speeding away. I thanked my lucky stars when he didn't stop me. I needed peace and quiet. I needed to figure out how my love life managed to go from 0 to 60 in the matter of minutes.

I kept walking until the soft chatter faded behind me. There was a lot of churning in my head but one thing was clear; hormones sucked.

"You okay?"

I looked over my shoulder to see Finn standing a few feet behind me. I could always count on him to show up when I needed to talk.

I nodded slowly. "I'm fine just a little confused."

"About what?" He cocked an eyebrow.

"Boys." I admitted quietly.

"Monty told you the truth, didn't he?" Finn flashed an amused smile and I didn't bother to deny that he was right.

"Yes." I hesitated to tell Finn everything but then I realized that he is my closest friend, besides Clarke and if I couldn't trust him then I couldn't trust anyone. So, I told him about what happened, even about the kiss with Bellamy.

Once I finished, he stayed quiet for a couple elongated seconds. I was about to beg him to say something when finally decided to speak.

"I think you already know what my advice would be."

I pursed my lips as I racked my brain for the obvious answer. It came to me after only a second of thought. "I think you would tell me to follow my heart."

He met my eyes. "As cheesy as it might sound, I think that's the only thing you can do."

"But it's _Bellamy_. I already know he's not capable of… of…"

"Of loving you?" Finn narrowed his eyes slightly. "Are you sure about that?"

"He had a threesome ten minutes before he kissed me. Does that sound like the kind of guy that wants to settle down?" I pause to shake my head. "It doesn't, finn. And I'm not going to wait around like some groupie until he is ready."

"I think you just worked out the problem on your own." Finn smiled lightly and I let out a deep breath when I realized he was right.

"Thank you, Finn." I returned his smile. I suppressed the urge to tell him about my other problem because I knew that I wasn't ready to tell anyone yet. Not even my closest friend.

"It's what friends do." He shrugged weakly. "But I didn't just come over here to help you with your love life. Monty thinks he found a way to connect the wristband to the ships system."

I tilted my head. "Really? So, we can talk to the Ark?"

"Maybe. He just wanted you to be there when he made his first attempt." Finn explained in a low voice.

I nodded as I sighed quietly. "Okay. Let's go."

We walked back into the ship side by side. When we got inside, I saw that Clarke, Jasper, and Octavia were already waiting for us. Monty had his back turned to us and I could hear the quiet sound of clinking metal. I exchanged smiles with Clarke and Octavia but it faded a little when I looked at Jasper. It was obvious that he was still in the recovery phase and I couldn't help but feel a little worried.

"Hey." Monty smiled as he glanced over his shoulder. I came up beside him and gave him a relatively awkward side hug.

"How's it going?" I asked as I glanced at the bracelet he was working on.

"I think I can do it." He followed his gaze to the bracelet before looking back at me. I could see that he was excited. "I think I can get you the chance to talk to whoever you need to."

I gave a sigh of relief and met his eyes. "Thank you, Monty."

I stepped back as he turned to address everyone. "Jasper, do you want to do the honors?"

Everyone smiled as Jasper moved towards the bracelet. Monty handed him a wire and showed him where to connect it to the bracelet. I think we all held our breath as he slowly lowered the wire into the slot. A second after he pushed it in, I heard a pop then the bracelet began to smoke.

"Ow!" I yelped when I felt my bracelet electrocute me. I looked down at the cuff but it didn't look any different.

Monty sighed heavily causing me to give him a confused glance. I stepped closer to him as I asked, "What just happened?"

He turned back to Clarke's smoking bracelet and then gave Jasper a defeating look. "I think we just fried all the bracelets."

"Wait, what?" I grabbed his arm and forced him to turn to me.

I could see the regret in his eyes but I still couldn't believe what he had said. "The bracelets are all connected. Disconnecting Clarke's must have done the same thing to everyone's."

"Does that mean…" I inhaled sharply as my eyes began to sting. "Does that mean the Ark thinks we're dead?"

"Most likely. I'm sorry, Brea." Monty's gaze fell to the floor.

I knew he felt responsible for what happened but I couldn't blame him or Jasper. They were just trying to help. But it didn't work and that gave the Ark false proof that the ground was not survivable.

I remembered what my father had told me about how things would play out if we didn't find another way to endure the failing life support on the Ark. If they didn't decrease population, people would start dying. Kids would be the first to be effected and that meant I had more at stake than ever before. Skylynn was on the Ark and I was sure that it wouldn't be long before the deficiency became a major problem.

And we just gave the council a reason to commit a mass murder.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Finn storm out of the ship. Clarke threw me a look and I nodded. I knew that she might be able to help him more than I ever could.

I stopped her as she took a step to leave. "Make sure he knows that he's not alone down here."

It was the only good thing I could think of to say that might help her and Finn.

She smiled weakly before running after him into the night. I turned back to Jasper and Monty to see that Jasper's guilt was growing. I rested a reassuring hand on his arm and forced a believable smile.

"It wasn't your fault." I whispered loud enough for him to hear. He nodded but I could tell that he didn't really take my words to heart.

He returned the smile before shuffling away. I watched as he settled in a corner but was relieved when I saw that Octavia went to talk to him. I turned my attention back to Monty even though I could feel my breathing starting to quicken. It was always the first step to the flashbacks.

"I'm so sorry, Brea." Monty breathed quietly.

I didn't hesitate to shake my head. "It's not your fault. It's not anybody's fault. It was an honest mistake and I'm sure that everything will work out."

I was honestly trying to cheer him up but I was secretly hoping that saying it aloud would help me believe it. But it didn't.

Monty said something but I couldn't understand him. I shuddered and dropped my gaze as my heart skipped a beat. It was starting again.

"Are you okay?" Monty said in a raised voice. I looked up at him and nodded too quickly.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I just…" I tried to ignore the weak pounding starting in the back of my head. I came up with the easiest excuse in the book. "I just need some time to alone."

Monty looked defeated but I couldn't let myself get caught up on it. I kissed him on the cheek before walking out of the ship. It was obvious that the camp as a whole was confused. It also cemented the fact that all the bracelets were fried.

"What happened?" Belllamy came up to me with some of his goons following close behind.

I suppressed the urge to cringe when the pounding in my head started to increase slowly. "The cuffs got fried. That's all I know."

I didn't wait for a response or their approval. I turned towards main crowd of prisoners and weaved between the bodies as quickly as I could.

"Hey!" I heard Bellamy call after me but I ignored him. I continued to duck through the group until I no longer could see Bellamy following. The pain was becoming harder to ignore.

I had to get away. I could feel my self-control slipping through my fingers and I knew that I didn't have long before the nonstop headaches started. And I couldn't fall apart here. Not in front of everybody.

So I ran like hell.

I slipped through the wall and ran through the forest as fast as my legs could carry me. I had to get far enough that people could no longer hear me. I had only been running for a couple minutes when the first piercing headache hit me. It brought me to my knees but I forced myself to carry on. I knew that it wouldn't be long before the pain and flashbacks collided.

I was breathing heavily by time I reached a secluded area. The pain was doing it's job and I sat at the base of a tree and pulled my knees to my chest. I wanted to sleep, to just close my eyes and hopefully find some type of bliss in the torture that was about to hit me. I hated seeing into my past because there wasn't anything I could do to change it.

A piercing pain hit me again and when I closed my eyes, I was in my room on the Ark.

"_Your parents are doing this for you and Skylynn. They want to make this place safe for the two of you." My grandmother whispered into the top of my head as I leaned into her shoulder._

When I opened my eyes, I was back in the forest. That was the worst part. It always felt so real but when I opened my eyes, I was forced back to my actual reality, no matter how painful it was.

"_Do you think that mom and dad will ever love me like they love you?" Skylynn's small voice barely reached my ears. I watched her as she continued to draw on the piece of paper I had managed to get my hands on. I knew that she was unaware of everything that was happening outside of our room._

I pressed my forehead to my knees as I clenched my teeth. The pain was bad but the memories made it even worse.

"_Mom," I said as I stared at her back. "I want to tell Skylynn the truth." My mother responded with a shake of the head and I knew what she would say next; she's still too young._

I clasped my hands over my forehead when the ache turned sharp again.

"_And how do you think this will play out? You'll get put in the skybox and she'll be sent to live with a random family and you will never see her again. You have to lie, Brea. Our verdict has pretty much already been decided. They just want to you to seal the deal." My dad paced in front of me. I hadn't seen him in days and all he could do was talk about the trial. I was annoyed but my concern outweighed it significantly._

I curled my fingers into my hair and squeezed my temples. I knew I just had to push through it. There was no other way.

"Brea…"

The voice was too familiar. Murphy.

I looked up to see him walking towards me but I held up a hand. "Please, just leave me alone."

"I can't do that. It's dangerous out here." Murphy inched towards me cautiously.

"I don't care. I don't want you here. Just go away!" I started to rock back and forth on my heels as the pain came back stronger than the last time.

"_My parents aren't traitors. They were just trying to do what was right." I said just loud enough for the council to hear. I knew I had just signed off on my own arrest but I wasn't going to help the council condemn my parents for trying to save 300 people._

"I already know that's something wrong, Brea. I watched you, remember? I saw how you cried out every night while you were sleeping. I know you're in pain." Murphy kneeled in front of me but I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eye.

"You don't know anything." I said through gritted teeth.

He laughed softly. "I know that you love this Skylynn girl very much. And I know that you never wanted to hurt her."

I didn't have the willpower to respond.

"_Where are you going again? Mrs. Poppy says your going away for a while but he wont tell me where." Skylynn mumbled as she traced grooves in my hand. I had asked the family who was going to take her in not to tell her where I was going. I said I wanted to do it on my own. But now that the time had come for the truth, I couldn't find the strength to say it._

"Who is she?" Murphy put a hand on my kneecap. "Your sister?"

I swallowed hard. If I told him the truth, I would have to tell him everything. And I didn't think I would be able to do that without breaking down. But then again, I was already breaking down.

"Brea…" Murphy's voice was soothing but I still couldn't force myself to look him in the eyes. He put his fingers under my chin and tilted my head up until our eyes finally met. "You can trust me."

Anybody could have seen that he was telling the truth. I could trust him just like I could trust Finn and Clarke. But did I want to?

"_We tried to be lenient with you. We gave you a chance to avoid arrest and be reunited with your youngest family member but your decision has caused us to withdraw our offer. This was no one's choice but yours." Jaha met my eyes for a split second. I was certain what was on both of our minds. He had shown me mercy before and he couldn't do it again._

"Is she your sister?" Murphy repeated the question.

It took me a second to realize that I was crying now. The tear had run down my cheek before I could swipe it away but I caught the next one though.

When I looked back at Murphy I heard the tiny voice in my head loud and clear.

I shook my head. "No. She's my daughter."

I knew I made the right decision when Murphy didn't bombard me with questions. Instead, he scooted next to me and pulled me into his arms. He held me close to his chest and I could feel his breath on the top of my head.

"You're going to be okay." I heard him whisper into my hair.

It was the last thing I heard before I was dragged back into a whirlwind of headaches and flashbacks.

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The secret was revealed, Brea having a daughter. But I will be revealing the back story and another part of the secret soon . Please review/follow/favorite. I would mainly like to know what the majority opinion is about who Brea should be with after reading this chapter. Review, review, review! I love hearing opinions, corrections, or questions. Thanks for reading!**


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I only own my OC. Sorry for any mistakes.**

**In the Line of Fire**

I pulled my knees to my chest as I watched Murphy sleep. I had moved away from him the second I woke but I still didn't want to go back to camp and I didn't want to wake Murphy up. He had waited for me to fall asleep the previous night before falling asleep himself and I was up until dawn. I knew he deserved the extra hours of shuteye and I was happy to give it to him.

"Good morning." Murphy smiled as he rubbed his eyes groggily. I smiled weakly and rested my chin on my knees.

"Morning."

He sat up slowly and ran his fingers through his hair. I let my gaze wander for a couple seconds, taking in the beauty of the greenery around us again. The air was crisp and moist and the sun had just begun to rise.

"Do you have anything to eat?" I heard Murphy mutter in a low voice.

"No. I'm sorry."

Murphy didn't miss the air of guilt in my voice when I spoke. "Don't worry about it. I actually managed to catch a rabbit yesterday. It was really small but it should hold me off for a couple days."

"Was that before or after you ran into us while we were hunting?" I raised an eyebrow and tried to look stern but I was wearing a weak smile.

"After." He answered with a faint hint of dignity.

I pursed my thin lips. "You're just lucky I was able to get them to go back to camp."

"Thanks for doing that." Murphy gestured to me. "It looked like it hurt."

"It did but I wasn't going to let Bellamy kill you." I admitted truthfully.

"Why not? It wasn't like I deserved your help."

"You sounded pretty pathetic begging for my help so I decided to take pity on you." I shrugged jokingly. He laughed lightly as he shook his head.

"I'm being serious, Brea." He sighed.

I drop my eyes to the floor. "I know you were telling the truth about Charlotte."

We both fell silent at the same moment even though there were a lot of unspoken words hanging in the air around us.

"Wow. I didn't think I'd actually find you out here."

I didn't have to look over my shoulder to know who spoke. I knew her voice like the back of my hand.

"Solstice." I pushed myself to my feet as I turned to face her. She had her red hair braided into two long ropes but it still couldn't contain the wild curls from popping out around her face. I wasn't sure what to do or say since the last time I saw her, she punched me.

"I saw you sneak through the wall last night," She told me as she stepped over a raised tree root. "I waited until daylight to follow you out here though."

"What are you doing here, Solstice?" I put up my defenses as she continued towards me.

"You two know each other?" Murphy asked from behind me but I only managed a nod.

"Wait a second. You're that guy that Bellamy banned from camp." Solstice pointed over my shoulder. "If I remember correctly, he said that he would kill you if he found you anywhere near camp… and this is still pretty close to camp."

"Solstice…" I stepped towards her.

She tilted her head as her eyes met mine. I wasn't sure if I should have been relieved when she finally smiled. "Don't worry. I'm not here to rat you out. I'm here to apologize."

"Are you apologizing?" My eyes widened with confusion.

"Trying to. I'm sorry I hit you Brea." She paused. "When I saw you in camp for the first time the only thing I could think about was my parents."

I watched her for a few seconds and tried to figure out if she was being truthful. "I forgive you."

"So, you guys know each other?" Murphy repeated the question patiently.

"Brea was my best friend. We were closer than sisters." Solstice told him as she walked into the clearing. She stopped a couple feet in front of me.

"Did you two get arrested together or something?" Murphy asked no one in particular.

Solstice met my eyes and I could see her lips twitch up into a weak smile. I slid a glance to my left. "It's a long story."

"Too long." Solstice laughed as she ran her hand over her braids.

I couldn't stop myself from asking the one question that had been on my mind since Solstice showed up. "What made you want to apologize?"

She pursed her thin lips, accenting her high cheekbones. "Someone made me see that what I did wasn't totally justified."

I narrowed my eyes with confusion. "Who?"

"Bellamy Blake." Solstice smiled and I took a sharp breath. "You know, the hottie with the amazing body."

"I… I know who he is, I just didn't know you two knew each other." I could feel Murphy's eyes on me but ignored him.

"We don't. At least, we didn't. He came up to me earlier and told me you felt guilty for what your parents did and he made me realize that it wasn't your fault for what they did." Solstice explained calmly and her green eyes flashed to Murphy then back to me. "Wait a second. Are you two…?"

It took me half a second to realize what she was asking. "No!"

"We're just friends." Murphy added quickly in a hoarse whisper.

"Barely even that." I shrugged lightly before Solstice sidled up in front of Murphy. I could see out of the corner of my eye that she was close enough to kiss him but she kept a small space between them.

I diverted my gaze to the floor but could still hear Solstice talk to him. "So, you're single?"

Murphy cleared his throat nervously. "Yes."

"That's really good to know." Solstice flashed one of her award winning smiles before backing away from him. "We need to get back to camp before Bellamy comes looking for you."

I narrowed my eyes again. "Why would he…?"

"I know it's always been hard for you to pick up on the signs that a guy likes you, Brea, but come on… Bellamy has it bad and it's not like he's trying really hard to hide it." Solstice pulls her braids over her shoulder and starts picking at the ends.

I wanted to tell her, my best friend, what Bellamy had done. How he had kissed me and how right it felt but Murphy was there and I knew it was a good idea to keep it to myself. "We should get back."

"Yes. And preferably before he goes to find the drop ship that crash landed."

It was evident that Solstice had merely forgotten to mention the vital information earlier. I moved closer to her slowly. "What drop ship?"

"You two must have been asleep if you didn't see it." She paused. "It crashed like an hour ago but Bellamy said that he wanted to wait until after sunrise to go find it."

I sighed heavily, realizing the deception that had taken place while I was gone. "Bellamy isn't going to wait."

Solstice raised an eyebrow at me and I pursed my lips into a thin line. "He's going to try to find that ship on his own."

"Why would he do that?" Murphy spoke up but his voice was still quiet.

I shrugged even though I knew that answer. "I don't know."

"Then we need to get back to camp ASAP." Solstice dropped her hands to her sides. I nodded in agreement and turned to Murphy.

"I'll come back as soon as I can and I'll try to bring food." I told him truthfully before starting off into the woods with Solstice.

I noticed that the sky had turned a grayish blue now; telling me that the day had just began. I managed to keep up with Solstice even though her stride was longer. I had always been jealous of her long legs.

"So, can you clear something up for me?" Solstice didn't wait for my response. "If you and Bellamy obviously have something going on then why are you still letting that Monty guy chase after you."

"Okay. First of all, there is nothing going on between Bellamy and me. Second of all, Monty isn't chasing after me because I want to be with him. I'm just trying to do what's best for him because of…" I hesitated to finish my sentence. I was still trying to be cautious around Solstice since we had just made up and I wasn't even sure if it was the real thing.

"Skylynn." Solstice glanced at me. I nodded as I squeezed my eyes shut for a few seconds. "Are you still hoping to be reunited with her?"

"Yes. And I'll never stop trying to make sure I do." I told her quietly and dropped my gaze to the floor. "Why are you being so nice to me? I mean, you pretty much hated me only a couple hours ago and now you're acting like nothing ever happened."

Solstice kicked a rock causing it to fly through the air and land a few feet ahead of us. "You were like the sister I always wanted, Brea. I could never hate you. I was just trying to find someone to blame for what happened to my parents and I wasn't thinking when I decided to put it on you."

"And Bellamy was the one who got you to apologize?" I met her eyes for a second.

"You sound utterly surprised." She smiled.

I ran my fingers through my hair. "I am. He never seemed like the kind of person that would…"

"Care about anyone but himself? Yeah, I was thinking the same thing when I first met him but then he actually opened his cute mouth of his and I knew he was just trying to help." Solstice explained as she hopped over a tree root.

I pulled my hair back and twirled it onto a temporary bun at the nape of my neck as I let out another heavy sigh. "So, you want to be friends again?"

"I want to try. I mean, we can't just throw away 16 years of friendship."

"I'm sorry for what my parents did, Solstice." I had wanted to apologize for the damage my parents had caused since the whole thing began but this was the first real chance I had to actually do it.

She didn't respond right away and I didn't push her to give me an answer. It took a couple seconds for her to clear her throat. "I know they didn't plan on it going down like that. They just wanted to save people."

"They loved you like a second daughter."

"Third daughter." She corrected without hesitation. I flinched remembering that I had yet to even tell Solstice the whole truth about Skylynn.

"Solstice, there's something I need to…" I started but didn't get the chance to finish. Solstice stopped suddenly and I could see her squint to see something in the distance.

"Is that Octavia Blake? Bellamy's sister?"

I followed her gaze to see she had been looking at someone walking a little ways ahead. I realized Solstice was right. Octavia was taking an early morning stroll all by herself and I doubted that Bellamy had given her his blessing.

I started towards her quickly. "Come on."

Solstice stayed on my heels as we hurried to catch up with the youngest Blake sibling. She was walking surprisingly fast.

"Octavia!" I called out once we were close enough. She turned quickly causing her hair to fall over her shoulder.

"Brea?" She forced a smile. "My brother was wondering where you ran off to."

I ignored her question with ease. "What are you doing out here?"

"I followed Bellamy. He's going after the drop ship that crash landed." She told us quickly. I could tell that there was something more to what she had to say.

"Is everything okay, Octavia?" I put a reassuring hand on her arm.

She hesitated at first but eventually gave in. "No. Bellamy's going after the drop ship because he wants to destroy the radio."

I swallowed hard. "Why?"

"He killed Jaha." She muttered under her breath as she dropped her eyes to the floor. I could see that she was ashamed but I knew that it wasn't her fault.

"He killed the chancellor?" Solstice stepped into the conversation. "Damn."

"He doesn't want the people on the ark to come down because he knows that they'll kill him once they get here." Octavia explained with a grim expression. I couldn't blame her. Bellamy had put her in an impossible situation.

"It'll be okay, Octavia. We'll figure this out." I told her with more confidence than I felt. I had no idea how were going to fix this. Bellamy wanted the radio destroyed and so far, whenever Bellamy wanted something done, he got it done.

"We need to get back to camp and tell the others. We won't be able to stop him on our own." Solstice chimed in. I knew she was right and nodded in agreement.

Octavia sighed loudly enough for only me to hear. I stepped towards her and pulled her into a small hug. "We'll figure this out together. Okay?"

I moved back to see her nod weakly. She pushed her hair out of her face and turned towards camp. "Let's go."

We walked through the forest quietly but quickly. We all knew that we still had a ways to go before we were even in a miles radius of camp.

Suddenly, I heard someone fall behind me. I turned to see Octavia already on the floor clutching her ankle. I hurried to assess her injury as Solstice kneeled beside her. I didn't have to touch it to know that it was sprained. It had already begun to swell.

"Damn it." Octavia breathed quietly. Solstice met my eyes and I knew what she was thinking. It would slow us down but we'd have to help Octavia get back to camp.

We hoisted her to her feet and wrapped our arms around her waist. She leaned on us as we began to continue towards camp. We didn't get far before I came to a screeching halt.

I was the first person to notice the person standing in our way a distance in front of us. Solstice noticed a second later and then Octavia took a sharp breath when she saw the person.

I didn't have time to react to the one person blocking our path because only two seconds later, he was joined by two more and three more fell into place beside them a moment after that.

I let out a shaky breath. "Grounders."

"What do we do?" Solstice asked in her quietest voice.

I swallowed hard. "Run."

"But they're blocking our way to camp." Octavia whispered. I could hear the concern in her voice but I couldn't dwell on it. The grounders had begun to advance.

"We have to go, now!" I demanded as I helped Octavia turn around.

I nearly fell back when I came face to face with Murphy. He didn't say anything. Instead he just hoisted Octavia onto his back and gestured in the opposite direction of camp. I shared a look with Solstice before all three of us broke into a sprint. We knew we were running for our lives.

I never had a chance to practice running on the Ark but I found out that I was faster than I had expected. Even with my shorter legs, I managed to keep up with Solstice and Murphy. I was mostly surprised that Murphy was keeping pace with us with Octavia on his back but I was also relieved.

We tried to weave through the trees in an attempt to lose the grounders but every time I glanced over my shoulder, they appeared to be closing the distance between us. It was obvious that they had a lot of practice.

"We can't run forever!" Solstice shouted as she ducked around a large tree.

I pumped my arms a little faster, hoping to get my speed to increase. "We don't have any other choice!"

Something whizzed by my ear swiftly. The object hit a tree slightly to the left of my path. When I saw that it was a spear I knew that the hunt had officially begun.

I didn't stop running but I did dare to look over my shoulder again to see that the Grounders had only fallen back a little bit. I turned my eyes forward just in time to stop myself from running into a large skeleton.

I stumbled back as I took a sharp breath. I looked around me and saw that there were more trees with a human skeleton hanging on them. I didn't need to be told what the decorations meant. It was a direct keep out warning.

Solstice grabbed my arm and pulled me with her. "Come on, Brea!"

"We're not going to be able to lose them!" I knew it wasn't going to boost the morale but it was the truth. The grounders were in this chase for the long haul.

"We have to try!" Murphy called over his shoulder. He had begun to slow because of the extra weight he was carrying and I could tell he wasn't going to be able to maintain that pace for long.

I fell to my knees when I felt something sharp hit my arm. Another spear. I pushed myself to my feet as I pressed my other hand to the wound. I didn't want to know how deep the cut was. I needed to focus on finding a way to save us before the Grounders killed us all.

I stopped in my tracks when I saw a familiar sight. Sticking out from the grass was a large wheel handle. It looked exactly like the door of Finn's bunker. I dropped to my knees and grabbed onto the metal. I pulled at it with all my strength but it didn't budge. Two more hands latched onto the wheel and helped me force it to rotate. The door popped open a second later and I looked up to see that Murphy had been the one to help me.

"Get inside!" I called to Solstice and Octavia. They didn't hesitate to jump into the hole. I dropped in after Murphy and shut the door behind me. I thanked my lucky stars when I saw the lock mechanism on our side of the door.

I landed on my feet with a quiet thud and had just turned around when I felt two arms wrap around my neck. Even though it was pitch black in the room, I knew it was Solstice. I hugged her back, thankful to have my best friend with me.

We found the candles and matches after a couple minutes of feeling around in the dark. Once lit, I saw that we weren't in Finn's secret bunker. This one was much bigger and the inventory was more impressive.

"Wow." Octavia breathed from her spot on one of the beds. She was lying down and I made sure that she was elevating her ankle. We could stay in the bunker until nightfall but I knew that we had to get back to camp as soon as possible and I wanted to try to get Octavia's ankle into better shape.

"Rest up, guys. We're leaving once the sun sets." I told everyone sternly.

I think they all knew I wasn't going to budge on my opinion because no one tried to correct me. On Solstice's recommendation, I shared Octavia's bed while she and Murphy shared the other. Unlike the bunk beds in the other bunker, this one had two full beds pushed against opposite sides of the room. I turned away from Solstice and Murphy and pulled the blankets up to my ears. I didn't want to hear or see what my best friend was planning to do that night.

"Do you think they'll even notice that we're gone?" Octavia asked as she rolled over onto her side to face me. I was thankful for the distraction.

"Your brother will notice you're gone the second he gets back to camp. But I doubt anyone will worry about me since I run off all the time." I gave a small shrug under the covers.

"Bellamy will notice. He always notices when you leave." She had a hint of a smile on her lips as she spoke.

"Your brother is a very confusing person." I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling absentmindedly.

"Misleading." Octavia whispered.

I smiled. "Controlling."

"Reckless."

"Cocky."

"Selfish."

I looked at her as my smile faltered. "Your brother may be all those other things and more but he's not selfish. He loves you Octavia more than he loves himself. That's not a trait easily found in most people."

"He did it for me." She paused as her eyes remained on the ceiling. "He shot Jaha for me. I never asked him to do it but he did it so he could be with me."

"Of course you didn't but he wanted to keep you safe. He risked his own life to take care of you." I pursed my lips. "Not many people can love someone enough to do that, Octavia."

"They're going to kill him if they come down here. They'll kill Bellamy just like they killed my mother." I could hear her voice waver as she spoke. I reached down and took her hand in mine.

"Your brother is Bellamy Blake. He's not going to let some measly council kill him. He'll find a way out of this. And if he can't…" I hesitated to make the promise whirling around in my head. "And if he can't, then I will."

"Why?" Octavia finally met my eyes. I forced myself to blink when I saw the tears in her eyes.

"Because he's your brother." I answered truthfully.

Octavia squeezed my hand. "Thank you, Brea."

"We're friends and friends help each other even in the most dismal situations."

"I know that I might sound like I'm joking when I say that Bell cares about you but I see the way he watches at you when you're not looking. He might not want to admit it to anyone but I know that he feels something for you." Octavia tells me in a certain voice.

I bit my lower lip as I made a hasty decision. "He kissed me."

"What?!" Octavia's eyes widened with disbelief. I could only force myself to nod for a response. "When?"

"Yesterday." I croaked. I cleared my throat before speaking again. "But it wasn't under the best circumstances."

"Tell me everything." Octavia demanded excitedly and I realized I might have just woken the beast. But it was too late to take it back so I told her everything I felt comfortable revealing to Bellamy's baby sister.

"So, Monty is practically in love with you and my jealous brother, who does whatever it takes to make sure he never loses, decides the best time to jump in the race is after you and Monty pretty much seal the deal?" Octavia paused. "Am I right?"

"Pretty much." I sighed as I rubbed my temples. "I don't think this could get any worse."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Octavia cocked an eyebrow and I pursed my lips.

"What does that mean?"

"Murphy might be the next one to jump into the Brea Admirers mixer." She gestured behind me.

I almost laugh aloud. "Very funny."

"He looks at you the same way Bell does, Brea." Octavia shrugged. "Maybe I'm just reading too much into this."

"Yeah." I whispered.

Deciding between two boys was hard enough. Adding Murphy to the mix would only force the complication to the next level. I silently hoped that Solstice might be the right girl for Murphy.

Octavia and I must have dozed off because a few minutes later, Solstice shook me awake.

"The sun has officially set." She smiled lightly as I forced myself to wake up. I nudged Octavia until she finally started to stir.

I dropped my legs over the edge of the bed and ran my fingers through my messy hair. I was in dire need of a shower but I knew that was the last thing I should be worrying about. Solstice must have read my mind because she gave me a sympathetic look.

"Want me to work my magic?" She asked as she held up a hair band.

"Please." I smiled. Solstice had always been good with hair. We would stay up half the night at sleepovers just testing styles. I admit, half of the experiments ended with me working out knots the size of quarters for days afterwards.

I sat on the couch patiently as she ran her fingers through my brown hair. I had curly hair when I was young but after I had Skylynn, it straightened out into loose waves. It was easier to work with but sometimes wished I had Solstice's curly locks.

Solstice finished my hair in five minutes and I smiled when I looked in a small mirror she had dug up in the bunker. I ran my fingers over the three braids she woven together at the back of my head. She was an expert braider and I knew that she had just set a record.

"Thank you." I turned to her and gave her a short hug. I knew it would be easier to maintain my hair now that it was tied back.

We got up and helped Murphy and Octavia return everything to their places and blow out the candles. Once it was dark again, we made our way to the ladder leading to the door. I took a deep breath before unlocking and opening the door.

I peered outside slowly and breathed a sigh of relief when I didn't see any grounders waiting for us. But I knew that they could still be waiting in the shadows. I pulled myself out and watched the trees around us as Murphy helped Octavia and Solstice get out after us. I shut the door slowly and took a few careful steps into the darkness.

"I think they're gone." Solstice said as she looked around. I nodded after a few seconds.

"Yeah."

"We should get back to camp before they send out a search party." Octavia had the sense to whisper but I could hear the hurry in her voice.

I started back the way we came slowly, keeping my ears open for any abnormal noises. From what I could tell, the Grounders liked to play games.

I was the only one to hear the snap of a branch to my left. I stopped and looked for my friends. When I saw that they were all behind me, I held up a hand to signal them to stop.

"Did you hear that?" I said barely above a whisper.

"It was probably just one of us." Murphy responded in the same tone.

I forced myself to accept his excuse and carried on. When another branch snapped on my right, I knew I wasn't being paranoid. Then another branch snapped to my left, loudly. The Grounders were doing it on purpose. I shuddered as I realized that the hunt wasn't over.

"Get down." I dropped to a crouching position and thankfully everyone followed shortly.

"What's wrong?" Solstice asked as she scooted closer to me.

I put a finger to my lips. "They're still here."

"We should go back to the bunker then." Octavia suggested quietly but I shook my head.

"We're in their home. The only way they'll leave us alone is if we're dead." I bit my lower lip as I tried to think of someway to get us out. When an idea popped into my head, I knew it was a long shot but it was the only thing I could think of. "We have to run."

"I can't. My ankle." Octavia reminded me quickly.

I leaned closer to the three of them and lowered my voice even more. "I'm going to act as a decoy and lead the Grounders away so you guys can get back to camp."

"No way."

"You can't."

"There's no other choice. The Grounders want to hunt, they want to run and chase someone. Their border can only go so far. I'll make it out and meet you guys back at camp, I promise." I kept a light smile on my lips even though I believed my words only as much as they did.

"I'm going with you." Solstice said in a stern voice.

"No. I'm doing this on my own." I shook my head but she acted like she didn't hear me.

"You guys wait here until it's dead silent. Then you run for camp like a bat out of hell." Solstice instructed Murphy and Octavia.

"But I'm banished." Murphy reminded us.

I exchanged looks with Octavia. "You saved Bellamy's sister. You saved all of us. They'll let you back in."

"And if they don't, I'll be killed."

"I wont let that happen." Octavia grabbed his arm. "You did save me."

Murphy was still hesitating to agree to the plan so I leaned in slightly. "You know how much Bellamy loves his sister. If you're the one who saved her from the grounders and carried her all the way back to camp, he'll pardon you."

He sighed heavily. "Fine. But be careful, please."

I noticed that his eyes kept bouncing back to Solstice. She smiled and took his hand. "I'll see you in a little bit."

"Ready?" I raised an eyebrow.

"No." She shook her head before standing up. "But we have to do this."

I stood up and nodded. "I know."

We took off in a sprint making sure to run parallel to the skeleton barrier. We needed to lead the Grounders away from Murphy and Octavia.

As if on cue, the sound of footsteps started up behind us and Solstice and I glanced at each other. We knew that most likely we weren't going to make it back to camp but I was willing to die if it meant Octavia and Murphy lived. I just wished that Solstice hadn't felt the same way.

**Next chapter will cover the rest of the hunt and more. Please review/favorite/follow. I love hearing the opinions, suggestions, or thoughts. I'll put up the next chapter soon.**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: I only own my OC's. Sorry for any mistakes.**

**One False Move**

"Come on!" I yelled as I grabbed onto Solstice's arm. I helped her get to her feet and held onto her as I started running again.

"How much longer do you think we can do this?" Solstice called as she stumbled after me.

"As long as it takes." I respond and tug her arm to keep her moving.

I knew that we had been running for a while and we were both getting tired. But every time I stopped to listen for the Grounders, I heard the faint sound of footsteps. We had no choice but to keep going even though I knew we weren't going to last much longer.

"Where are we going?!" Solstice asked between heavy breaths.

I barely avoided running into a tree as I tried to think of an answer. "I don't know but we can't stop. If we stop, we die."

I kept a firm grasp on her arm as we continued to weave between the trees. I honestly had no idea where we were headed but I hoped that the Grounders had a limit. I just wanted to get out of their territory before they killed us.

"Brea!" Solstice came to a halt. I stopped and turned to her.

"We just have to go a little farther, I promise. Just a little farther, please." I begged her with pleading eyes. "Solstice…"

It was obvious that she was hesitant to keep going but I couldn't let her just give up. And I couldn't let her face the Grounders on her own. If she stopped, I would stay by her side until the end.

"Okay." Solstice paused to catch her breath. "Okay."

We started off slow side-by-side but I forced her to go faster because I knew that every time we stopped the Grounders would gain on us more and more.

As I ran into a small clearing, I realized that the ground suddenly slanted before disappearing. I tried to stop but instead my feet slid out from under me as the ground gave away. I grabbed for anything to stop myself from slipping any farther but all I caught was air. I felt myself go over the edge and made one last desperate attempt and scratched at the ground. Pain shout through my hand as my fingers caught on a small dirt ridge.

I didn't have time to try to pull myself up because a second later, Solstice slid by me. I stretched out my other hand as she reached out her own hand. I barely managed to grab hold of her as she fell over the edge. The pain that had been pulsing through my hand then spread to both of my shoulders abruptly.

"Brea!" I heard her shout but I didn't have the strength to pull my attention away from my death grip on both the cliff and on Solstice.

"I wont let go!" I responded without hesitation.

"I'm slipping!" Solstice cried after a few seconds of silence. I could tell she was right. Her hand begun to slide through my grip slowly but I wasn't going to let go of her voluntarily.

"Is there anything you can grab onto?" I asked her with a high hope of her saying yes.

It took a moment for her to respond. "No."

"We'll figure this out." I told her as I kept my eyes locked onto the ledge above me. "We'll be okay."

"You can't do this forever, Brea." Solstice paused. "We'll both die if you don't let go."

"You'll die if I let go!" I reminded her quickly. When I met her eyes, it was like I could read her thoughts. "No, Solstice! Don't you dare! I just got you back! You're my best friend, I can't lose you!"

I ignored the pain intensifying in my arms and shoulders and focused on Solstice. I could see the tears welling up in her eyes and like a domino effect, my eyes started to sting.

"You were never just my best friend, Brea. You were my sister and I will always love you." Solstice sniffled. "But I'm not going to let you die just to save me."

"I wont let go! I can't!"

"I don't have anyone left but you have Skylynn. She needs you. No one needs me." Solstice's voice wavered as she talked to me.

"_I_ need you! I have lost everyone I care about and I can't lose you too! I'm not letting you go!" I clench my teeth as the burning sensation continued to pulse through my shoulders. I ignored the discomfort and focused on Solstice.

"We both know you can't pull me up, Brea. And if I don't let go, then we'll both die and I can't let you make that sacrifice. Skylynn needs you, she needs her mother." Solsitce's words cause me to swallow hard.

"How… how did you know Skylynn was my…" I tightened my grip on her hand as I spoke. I knew she was right but I still would never be able to let go of her.

"We've been best friends for 16 years. I know when you're lying to me." I could hear her groan and realized that she was also feeling some type of pain. "But I don't care about that because I loved her like she was my sister just like I did with you. You need to find a way to get her down here and you can't do that if you're dead."

"Solstice, don't do this…" I was connecting the dots slowly in my head. "Please…"

"Despite everything, you are the best friend I could have ever asked for." She let out a shaky breath. "I love you, Brea."

I didn't have time to react when she let go of my hand. I tried to tighten my grip but I was a second too late.

I let out an involuntary sob as I squeezed my eyes shut. "No, no, no, no."

I felt my hot tears roll down my cheeks as I forced myself to reach for the edge of the cliff with my other hand. I clawed at the hard dirt floor and slowly pulled myself up despite the fact that I felt like I was about to vomit. My stomach churned repeatedly as I tried to focus on anything but the fact that Solstice was dead and that my life was still hanging in the balance. The possibility that my best friend might have ended up dying in vain was too much to handle.

I army crawled up over the edge and rolled onto my back. I clapped my hands over my face and swiped away the tears that were still constantly running down my cheeks. I clenched my teeth as I tried to calm my rapid breathing. But I couldn't force myself to do it. My mind was racing with too many overwhelming thoughts for me to focus on any one thing.

The odd noise that came from the forest is what pulled me to my feet. My breathing was still heavy, my face was still stained with my tears, and the pain was still all too real but I managed to clear my mind long enough to realize that the Grounders hadn't abandoned the pursuit. I also figured out that if I didn't ignore my physical and psychological pain and run, Solstice would have died in vain. So, I took a deep breath and darted out of the clearing, away from the cliff where my best friend had sacrificed herself.

As I continued to run, the physical pain worsened. My shoulders were on fire, my legs felt like they were going to snap in half, and there was a continuous pulsing pain shooting through my fingers. Despite the torture I was going through, I listened to my conscious and tried to push through the pain. I knew that the Grounders were on my heels and they could kill me at any given moment.

I ran and ran until my lungs hurt as much as my shoulders. Every nerve in my body was telling me to stop but I couldn't let myself give in to the pain yet. I still had a small chance at survival and I was going to make sure I gave it my best shot to make it back to camp alive.

A couple strides later, my foot caught on a tree root and I stumbled forward with my arms outstretched. I fell against a tree and used the large trunk to sturdy myself. I took a step away from the tree but a sharp demanding pain erupted from my ribs. I gasped for air as I dropped to my knees. I fell onto one hand and used the other to feel around for the reason for the pain. When I located a wooden handle sticking out of my side I realized that the Grounders had finally taken a shot.

I wrapped my fingers around the handle of the weapon inserted into my ribs and gave it a light tug. The pain spiked and I clapped a hand over my mouth to muffle a cry. I couldn't remove the spear on my own, not without causing more damage to myself. I had to get back to camp.

I stifled a grunt as I pushed myself to my feet. I didn't think I would be able to make it all the way back to camp but I figured I had a better chance at surviving if I made it past the Grounders skeleton divider. Even though I was going at half speed, the footsteps behind me stayed at a steady distance away from me. The Grounders weren't giving it their all and I was almost thankful.

_Solstice is dead and it's your fault_

The voice, cold and dark, had suddenly whispered in my ear. I nearly tripped when I realized it came from some part of me. I shook my head as I almost ran into a tree.

_No, she's not._

My best friend of 16 years couldn't be dead. I knew that if Solstice was really dead, I wouldn't have been able to carry on. I was positive that I would have just broken down and shut everything out. But I was running from the Grounders and thinking about other things so I knew that my best friend couldn't be dead. It was impossible.

There was a window of time during the hunt that all I did was run. All I could focus on was putting one foot after the other as quickly as I could manage. I wasn't sure why but the pain had begun to fade as if someone had given me pain medicine. It was easier to press on when the pain was nearly gone.

I made it to the Grounder divider after a quite a long time of running. The skeletons watched over me as I sprinted past them. The second I made it past the barrier, a wave of dizziness swept over me. The sudden change made me fall to my knees and I knew immediately that this time, I wasn't going to be able to get up, mainly because the pain had come back. My shoulders, my legs, my lungs, my arms, my fingers, everything had begun to hurt at the exact same moment.

I had to roll onto my back because of the spear still sticking out of my side. I felt around the handle and my fingers were covered with a liquid instantaneously. I let out a heavy sigh as I let my head rest against the dirt ground. I tried to keep my eyes open but I could feel my eyelids getting heavier and heavier the longer I kept up the effort. Finally, I let them flutter shut. The canopy of leaves above me was the last thing I remember seeing before I let myself fall asleep. It was the only way I could hide from the pain that was so desperately trying to shut me down.

* * *

**Clarke's POV…**

There was nothing I could do. Finn, Bellamy, Jasper, and several other people volunteered to go looking for Brea while I had to stay behind to help Raven fix the radio. I wanted to find a way to contact the Ark but I also wanted to help find my friend. She had been gone for two nights and I had a feeling that she was in trouble.

I had noticed that she was gone all day but I didn't actually start to worry until Bellamy realized that his sister and Brea's friend were also missing. Then Octavia returned with Murphy in tow.

Everyone had been surprised that Octavia had dared to bring Murphy back to camp. Bellamy almost killed him the second he walked through the wall but Octavia stepped between them and explained what had happened.

Bellamy and I decided that the most important thing was to find Brea then we would worry about Murphy. We stuck him in the drop ship with a couple guards on watch so we could decide what to do with him later. I knew what I wanted to happen to him but Bellamy was still having a hard time deciding. He did save his sister but he also was the reason Charlotte died. The least I knew was that if he were to be allowed to return he would have to proving himself.

Raven kept her back turned to me as she worked on the radio. I knew something was up with her when she didn't say a word on the walk back to camp from the bunker. And even after she got back, she still couldn't put more than two words together. She worked in silence for a while but I finally asked her if something was wrong. Raven told me that she knew about what had happened between Finn and I. I didn't bother trying to deny it.

I apologized but I knew it wouldn't do any good. I had slept with the boy she loved and there was nothing I could do to take it back. But it didn't stop me from wishing there was.

I left the drop ship immediately, knowing she would have liked to have some alone time. I went over to a random group of people setting up one of the many tents scattered through the camp and began helping them. I had just secured my side when I heard my name.

"Clarke! Someone get Clarke! Clarke!"

I recognized Jaspers voice and jumped to my feet. I followed the stream of people making their way to the wall door and pushed through the crowd to get to the front. I gasped when I saw Bellamy carrying an unconscious and noticeably pale Brea. Jasper came up beside me as I hurried to take her pulse.

"We found her unconscious in the woods. She wouldn't wake up." Jasper was taking heavy breaths between words, telling me that they had hurried back to camp.

It was a good thing too. I could barely feel her faint heartbeat as I pressed my fingers to her neck. The next thing I observed was that she was covered in blood in several different spots. No one had to tell me that she was fading fast. I met Bellamy's eyes and took a deep breath. "Get her inside the ship, now!"

"What's wrong? What happened?" Raven questioned as sidled up next to me.

I gave her a worried look. "She's badly hurt."

"Can you help her?" Raven glanced at Brea as Bellamy carried her past us.

"I don't know. I need to figure out what's wrong with her first." I told her quickly before following Bellamy to the drop ship.

"Hey." I felt someone clap a hand on my shoulder and I turned around to face Finn. "This was on the floor next to Brea when we found her."

I looked down to his outstretched hand and heaved a sigh when I saw that he was holding a small spear. Nearly the whole thing was covered in blood but I could still make out the carvings on the handle.

"Grounders." I breathed quietly.

"They must have been chasing her." Finn replied as he pressed the weapon into my hand. "Can you help her?"

"I have to." I tore my eyes away from the spear and gave him a fleeting look before continuing to the drop ship. I ran my fingers over my head, knowing it was going to be a long night.

* * *

**Finn's POV…**

I watched as Clarke disappeared into the drop ship. I had faith that she was going to do her best to help Brea but I wasn't sure if it was going to be enough. When I had first found Brea, I thought she was dead and it wasn't until after I searched for her heartbeat that I realized that she was still barely clinging onto dear life.

"Is she a friend of yours?"

I nodded before turning around to face Raven. "She's the closest friend I have down here."

"Good to know." Raven sighed before walking around me. It didn't take a genius to know that something was wrong and I hurried to stop her.

"Raven, is something wrong?" I asked her not knowing what kind of answer I should have expected.

She shook her head without hesitation. "No. I'm just glad you made it back okay."

Raven kissed me quickly then walked into the drop ship without a second glance. There was definitely something wrong and I was just hoping it wasn't what I thought it was.

I was surprised when Bellamy came stalking out of the drop ship a couple seconds after Raven had gone inside. I stepped in front of him as he made his attempt to leave.

"Where are you going?" I narrowed my eyes.

"Anywhere but here." He muttered before trying to step around me.

I blocked his path again. "You should be with Brea. She'll need her friends when she wakes up."

Bellamy flashed a sarcastic smile. "Don't worry. Monty's right by her side."

"She might not want…." I began.

"Bellamy, Finn, you need to get in here. We might have a problem." Clarke told us as she stepped out of the drop ship. She hurried back inside the second she finished. Bellamy and I exchanged a look before following Clarke into the ship.

I swallowed hard when my eyes landed on Brea lying on the makeshift table. I didn't think it was possible but it looked like she was getting worse. Octavia, Monty, Jasper, and Raven had already surrounded Clarke when Bellamy and I walked in and we joined the group quickly.

"What's wrong?" Bellamy asked as he turned his attention away from Brea.

"You guys didn't do anything to her when you found her, right?" Clarke responded quickly and I didn't hesitate to shake my head. I knew that something was definitely wrong when Clarke ran her hand over her hair and threw Brea a worried look.

"You said we might have a problem?" Bellamy probed for information.

"We definitely have a problem." Clarke told all of us in a certain tone.

"What is it?" Octavia stepped forward into the circle and I could see the concern written all over her face.

Clarke glanced around at all of us before walking over to Brea. We all followed and watched as she lifted up Brea's shirt just high enough so we could see the wound on her stomach. But I noticed that it didn't look like the kind of injury a spear would cause.

"Someone cauterized her wound. And that person was most likely the one who also took out the spear and tended to all her other wounds." Clarke covered the burned skin again with a sigh.

"Are you trying to tell me that someone else found her before we did?" Bellamy narrowed his eyes suspiciously.

"That's exactly what I'm saying." Clarke glanced over her shoulder at my unconscious best friend. "And I have a feeling that it wasn't one of The 100."

I think everyone in the room had the same thought but I was the one to mumble it under my breath.

"Grounders."

**There it is. I hope everyone enjoyed the extra POV's because the next chapter and maybe the one after that will be told in everyone except Brea's POV. Well, I might add a little dream sequence for her but that's it. I hope everyone liked this chapter and weren't too confused about what happened. If you have any questions or comments leave a review and I'm going to start responding to the ones that I can.**

**Responses:**

**Kassidy **_"__I like your story but it seems to be getting a little Mary sue-ish…"  
_~Thank you and I would really appreciate if you could message me or review to let me know how I can prevent my story from getting any more "mary sue-ish" and I would definitely try to make the appropriate changes because I don't want that to continue. Thanks for reading!

**Minstorai **_"__I love how Brea knows how Bellamy was deceiving everyone…"  
_~Thank you for all the reviews you have left me. I love reading them so much and don't worry about the length of your reviews because my personal opinion is the longer the better. I'm glad you like my story and thank you for reading!

**The Little Lost Lamb **_"a__hhh! I can't wait for the next chapter! And dayumm, Brea has some history eh..."  
_~Haha. Yes, she does. And it goes even deeper than that so stay tuned for more. But she isn't necessarily leading Monty on because she does like him and she's only putting it off because she doesn't want to pull him into the mess that she thinks her life is. And I am still going to tie in the grounder to my story eventually but I'm planning on putting a little twist on it. Thank you for reading!

**DawnInk, Guest 1, Hay, KillerJill04, Haleyy3, and Guest 2  
**~Thank you all so much for leaving a review. I love reading the opinions or thoughts on the chapters/characters/relationships. I hope you enjoyed what happened in this chapter and I would love to hear more thoughts on it. Thank you for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Recovered Not Cured**

**~Clarke~**

Brea was a fighter. Everyone knew that. She usually found a way to do things on her own but it wasn't those times. She needed help this time. She needed someone else to save her life because she was already too far-gone to do it herself. I knew the second that Bellamy brought her back to camp that everyone thought I would be the one to save her. But it wasn't as simple as finding a seaweed remedy or stitching a wound. I figured that out pretty quickly. There was something else pulling her farther away from us every second and I didn't know what it was.

I didn't want to need my mom's help after everything she's done but she was the only person I knew who could help me save Brea's life.

"Did you already remove the weapon?" My mother's voice filled the room for a few seconds before disappearing again.

I bit my tongue as my conscious guided my train of thought. "Yes. We also cauterized it."

"Check the weapon for any missing fragments. A piece might have broken off in the wound." Her voice was calm. I had always admired how she could remain composed during stressful situations on the Ark but that day, with me on Earth and her thousands of miles away, I hated how calm she was.

I picked up the spear that Finn had handed to me and gave it a quick sweeping glance. "It's in one piece."

I jerked forward when another strong gust of wind hit the drop ship. It was just another thing working against us. I shouted for someone to close the doors but was quickly told that there were still people out in the storm.

"They'll have to find somewhere to ride it out." I called over my shoulder before returning my attention to the radio. "Mom?"

Raven glanced at me but kept her hand on the headset she was wearing. "The radio went dark."

I let out a deep breath as I buried my fingers in my hair. I was scared. Brea had been slowly slipping away since she was found and I was certain she wasn't going to last much longer. Time was critical.

"Can you get it working again?" I asked as I forced myself to lift my eyes to Raven's.

"It's the storm. I might be able to get it up for a few minutes here and there but the signal wont be stable until it passes." Raven informed me in a solemn tone. She was trying to help but despite all the effort it seemed like nothing was working in our favor.

I stood up abruptly, causing my chair to stumble back. "I need a break."

I gave Brea one last fleeting look before I started towards the ladder. There wasn't anywhere I could go to truly be alone. Not really. But I wanted to try to rid myself of the constant stress that had been on my shoulders all day. Even if it only lasted a few minutes.

"They're back!" The words reached my ears as I grabbed for the ladder rung. I dropped my hand and spun on my heels.

Bellamy, Finn, Jasper, and Monty had all gone out to look for Brea's missing friend, Solstice. But as they walked into the ship, I realized that the girl wasn't with them. Instead, two of Bellamy's goons were dragging a man towards the ladder.

"Is that…?" I started the question even though I knew the answer. Bellamy had dared to bring a Grounder into camp. Even I couldn't have seen this coming.

"Get him upstairs." Bellamy told his goons. They obeyed him without question.

"What's going on?" Raven rushed to Finn's side but her eyes were locked onto the unconscious grounder. I looked away as she slid her hand into his. I had rejected the idea of Finn and I being together but it was still stung when I saw him with Raven.

"My brother's being an idiot, that's what's happening." Octavia muttered as she stumbled into the ship. My jaw fell open slightly when I saw the state she was in.

I walked up to her and tilted up her chin so I could see the cut on her forehead. "What happened to you?"

Octavia opened her mouth to respond but a gruff voice filled the silence instead. "How's Brea?"

As much as I hated to admit it, I knew exactly who the voice belonged to without turning around. It was the same voice that had taunted people so many times before.

"She's deteriorating fast." I followed his gaze to Brea's motionless body.

"Did you figure out what's wrong with her?" Monty stepped towards and I caught Bellamy watching him carefully. I recognized the look in his eyes like the back of my hand. I had thrown it at Raven and Finn several times.

"No." I admitted quietly.

Bellamy gave Brea one last fleeting glance before starting towards the ladder.

"Where are you going?" The question escaped my lips before I could stop the words from rolling off my tongue. The real curiosity didn't lie with _where_ he was going but _what_ he was going to do.

"To get some answers." Bellamy responded without facing me. I watched in silence as he ascended the stairs.

"He didn't do it, Bellamy!" Octavia called after her brother before following him up the ladder.

"What happened out there?" I asked no one in particular.

Finn was the only one who obliged to answer. "Octavia followed us when we went to look for Solstice. The Grounders attacked us and we saw one of them take her but we couldn't follow them right away. We tracked them and found her with him. Bellamy knocked the Grounder unconscious and brought him back for questioning."

I pursed my thin lips. "He's not just going to question that man."

Someone clapped a hand on my shoulder as I walked towards the ladder. I turned to see Finn staring down at me.

"Roma, John, and Biggs are dead." He told me with a grim expression.

I felt like someone was pressing down on my chest. Three more people dead. There one second and gone the next. Just like that.

I let out a quiet sigh. "Octavia said that he didn't do it. I'm not going to let a possibly innocent man be tortured."

I climbed up the ladder before anyone could stop me. I didn't stop climbing until I made it up to the third floor on the ship. I stepped into the room, unsure of what to expect.

My eyes were drawn to the corner of the room where the Grounder was tied up. His eyes were cemented to the floor but I could see that Bellamy had already done a number on him. I diverted my gaze to Octavia and her brother who were having a heated discussion a few feet from the Grounder.

"Bellamy! He didn't hurt me! He was saving me!" Octavia continued her attempt to convince her brother that he was wrong.

"He's one of them, O. Roma, Johns, and Biggs are dead because his people attacked us. He's going to tell me everything I want to know about them." Bellamy didn't break his eye contact with Octavia until he was done talking.

"I don't think he'll understand you. He doesn't even know English." Octavia breathed quietly as Bellamy walked towards the Grounder. She turned to me with a pleading look in her eye. "Don't let him do this, Clarke."

I swallowed hard before stepping between Bellamy and the Grounder. I put a firm hand on his chest to keep him from advancing. "You can't do this."

"We started looking for Solstice at the spot we found Brea. But guess who was already there?" Bellamy leaned over me slightly and narrowed his eyes angrily. I sucked in a deep breath as his gaze flickered to the Grounder. "Him. He ran off and we followed him right into an ambush."

"I…" I started but didn't get the chance to finish.

Bellamy pulled something out of his pocket and shoved it into my hand. "He dropped it while he was running."

I dropped my eyes to the small tin box in my hand and opened it quickly. Inside were four small glass vials, each filled with a different colored liquid. I had no idea what I was supposed to think of it.

"Clarke! She's seizing!"

When the voice carried up the ladder, I returned the box to Bellamy and jumped down the ladder as quickly as I could. When I got to the first level, I saw Finn, Monty, Raven, and Jasper all crowded around Brea who's entire body was shaking lightly.

"Get her on her side!" I instructed the second I saw white foam starting to spill from her mouth. I had seen this symptom before. Liquid in the lungs.

"I thought the spear didn't do that much damage." Raven said aloud as she helped Finn and Jasper roll Brea onto her side. I grabbed a towel and kneeled by Brea's face. She had stopped shaking but the foam was still dripping from her mouth.

"It didn't!" I rubbed my temple as I tried to think of a solution. An answer. Anything that could help the worsening situation. "I don't get it. There's nothing wrong with her. She's… she's"

That's when it clicked. Fever. Uneven breathing. Seizing. I had seen those symptoms grouped together only once before. I had thought my mother was the smartest women alive when she had saved the patient.

"Poison." I breathed. "She's been poisoned."

"What?" Monty's eyes widened with fear.

"How?" Jasper dropped his eyes to Brea.

"The Grounders must have put it on the spear." Raven explained for me as she shook her head.

I ran my fingers through my hair when I realized that we had a whole new set of problems to deal with. "There has to be a antidote."

"Well, it's not like we can just go out there and ask the Grounders for it nicely." Jasper pointed out the obvious truth.

"The vials." I remembered the tin box the Grounder had been carrying. I rushed to the ladder and began climbing.

"The what?" Someone called after me.

"The vials." I responded but didn't bother stopping my ascent.

When I got to the second level, Octavia came up beside the ladder. "They locked the door, Clarke!"

I didn't hesitate to continue up the ladder. When I got close enough I rasped my knuckles against the thick metal as hard as I could. "Hey! Let me in!"

I waited a couple seconds but nothing happened so I reached to bang against the door again. It opened suddenly.

I crawled up after talking my way past one of Bellamy's goons and walked straight up to the Grounder. I hadn't given much thought to what I was going to say but when I came face to face with the stranger, the frustration and unease I had been feeling all day fueled my train of thought.

"You knew, didn't you?" I narrowed my eyes with suspicion. "You knew she wasn't going to get better until you gave her the antidote. That's why you came back."

"What are you talking about?" Bellamy sidled up next to me but had his gaze locked onto the grounder.

"Brea was poisoned and I think one of those vials holds the antidote." I walked over to the tin box sitting on the floor and picked it up. I returned to the Grounder and held up the box. "Which one is it?"

"He doesn't understand you, Clarke." Octavia warned from behind me.

I ignored her and repeated my question. "You wanted to save her. You wanted to help her get better. Just tell us which one it is and she'll live. Please."

Turned out begging wasn't the way to the answer. The Grounder wore the same emotionless facial expression as both Octavia and I tried to pry the information out of him.

"How much longer can Brea last?" Bellamy's question was meant for me but I didn't have an exact answer. She had been slowly getting worse all day and I had a feeling that the seizures were going to be the last symptom before it all came to an abrupt end.

"She probably won't make it through the storm." I muttered just loud enough for Bellamy to hear.

"Then it's time we sped this up."

I watched as he drew a knife from his pocket and cut a seat belt from one of the chairs in the corner of the room. He wrapped one end around his hand and let the buckle hang loose. My conscious was yelling for me to stop him but I knew that if we didn't find the remedy to the poison soon, Brea would die. I swallowed when I decided to not intervene.

"Clarke, don't let him do this. Please." Octavia pleaded with me, her hands clamped onto my arms. I met her eyes and almost reversed my decision. She didn't want it to turn out this way but I had to force myself to realize that we had no other option.

"I'm sorry." I whispered in a flat voice. Bellamy glanced at me shortly before pulling his arm back. I shut my eyes before the sound of the buckle crashing against the Grounders ribs reached my ears.

I lowered my head as another crack echoed through the room. I stepped forward and stopped Bellamy from swinging again. I held up the box in front of the Grounder and pleaded with him for the antidote. He just stood there and stared.

Bellamy hit him three more times. The Grounder barely made a noise but just the sound made me wince. Were we really doing the right thing?

Octavia was the next one to beg for help from our guest. Yet again, he refused to give any indication of what would heal Brea. I could tell he was stubborn but I also knew that Bellamy wasn't a patient person and he would do anything it took to get the answer out of the Grounder.

"Clarke, It's Brea." I turned to see Monty's head peeking out of the ladder hatch.

"What happened?"

"She stopped breathing." He took a quick breath and I felt like my heart was stuck in my throat. "She started again but I don't know if we'll be so lucky the next time."

I squeezed my eyes shut and begged for an idea to come to me. I could hear Bellamy continue with the beating as I tried to think of a way out of this stalemate.

I stopped Bellamy again and stood in front of the Grounder with the box in my hand. "I don't know why you did it, why you saved her… but you did. You pulled out the spear and you came back to give her the antidote. We thought we could save her on our own but we were wrong. And now she is dying. She is slowly slipping away and I am begging you to please find that same sympathy you had when you removed the spear and tell me what will save her. Please. I can't watch her die."

I willed myself to not look away. I knew that I was getting somewhere when his stone-like expression faltered.

"Please…" I moved the tin box closer to him. I was hoping that he would gesture towards the right vile, finally giving me the ability to help Brea.

I felt like the moments of silence that followed were separated my hours. He didn't move a muscle.

That was until Octavia stepped up beside me and took the tin box out of my hand. She held it up close to his face, her eyes searching his expression. "That girl down there is my friend... and I can't lose another friend. So, I am asking… I am begging you to help me save her. Please…"

I caught the sound waver in Octavia's voice and saw the tears lining the brim of her eyes when I glanced at her. She was scared.

His eyes flickered to the box and Octavia pulled out the first vial and held it up at eye level. "Is this it?"

He shook his head and nodded at the box.

She pulled out the next one. "This one?"

He shook his head.

Octavia took hold of the third vial. Time suspended.

He nodded.

I grabbed the vial and thanked Octavia and the Grounder before hurrying down the ladder.

"Move!" I shouted as I slipped between Jasper and Monty. I turned Brea onto her back and opened the vial. I slid my hand under her head and tilted it up. I put the glass to her lips and poured it into her mouth.

**~Bellamy~**

I stood at her feet as I watched her struggle to gain consciousness. Raven and Finn were huddled by the radio, ready to respond if any signal got through. Clarke and Octavia had fallen asleep on makeshift beds behind Brea and Jasper was helping himself to some of Monty's moonshine.

Monty was the only other person focused on Brea. He had his hand wrapped around hers and occasionally whispered words of encouragement. As if she could hear him.

I crossed my arms over my chest as I tried to find a way to ignored the anger building up inside of me. Monty acted like he was the only person who cared enough about Brea to stay up all night just to wait for her to wake up. But he was wrong. I cared.

I cared more than I wanted to.

"She's waking up!" Monty said aloud. I stayed at the foot of the table as Brea's eyes started to flutter open. Finn walked up beside her as Monty pushed a loose wisp of hair out of her face. I ignored the anger that started up again and strode over to my sister. I shook her and Clarke awake and told them that Brea was slowly regaining consciousness.

They hurried to surround Brea as she finally managed to open her eyes. Our eyes met for a few seconds but I forced myself to look away. I walked back up the ladder before anyone could realize that I had left. I didn't want to be there to see Brea and Monty's reunion.

**~Octavia~**

I stayed nearby as Clarke helped Brea take a drink of water. I wanted to throw my arms around her and tell her how worried I was. But I didn't. Instead I waited patiently as everyone else welcomed her back. Clarke gave her a quick hug. Finn wrapped his arms around her shoulders and squeezed lightly but caringly, reminding me of how Bellamy used to hug me after I spent an extended amount of time in the floor. Finn introduced Raven to Brea before Jasper whispered something into her ear that made her smile ear to ear. I could hear her stutter a "thank you." Monty pursed his lips into a thin smile when she turned to him. I noticed that he still hadn't let go of her hand.

I glanced around the room, expecting my brother to be standing in the shadows watching Brea. I suppressed a disappointed sigh when I saw that he was no longer with us. As I turned back to Brea and Monty, I saw the way he was looking at her and realized that a part of me was rooting for them. But I also knew that the other part of me wanted Bellamy to be happy and I was almost positive that Brea would be able to help him find that happiness. I thought it was obvious that Bellamy cared about Brea but I wasn't sure he was ready to admit it to anyone, let alone himself.

I snapped out of my temporary daze when Brea murmured my name. I smiled as I joined everyone at her bedside. Brea winced as she turned to me. She was sitting up but by the way her shoulders shook, I could tell it was a struggle. Monty must have noticed too because he propped himself up behind her and pulled her shoulders back so she was leaning on him. She smiled, relieved of some pain for the time being. I didn't hesitate to hug her when she held out one of her arms. I tried not to squeeze too hard, remembering what Clarke had told me earlier about Brea's condition, but I knew I hadn't succeeded when she groaned quietly. I pulled back and saw that she still smiling. It was a weak smile but it wasn't forced.

"How are you feeling?" I asked.

"Tired." Brea responded, her voice hoarse. I stole a glance at Clarke but she didn't look too worried.

"That's going to last a few days. You'll need to stay in bed and try to regain your strength." Clarke instructed with a light smile.

"I don't think it will be easy keeping her in bed for more than a couple hours." Finn joked.

Brea laughed weakly and tried to shrug but it looked more like a shudder. "I might surprise you."

An eerie silence fell over the room and I think we all knew that it was time to question her about what happened to her and Solstice.

I was relieved when Clarke took the lead. "Brea, I know you might not want to talk about it right now but we need to know what happened after you led the Grounders away from Murphy and Octavia."

Brea's face fell as her eyes darted around the room. "Where is Murphy?"

Everyone was somewhat surprised by her response. I stepped forward and explained how Bellamy had allowed him to enter camp but had decided to keep him locked up on the second level with a guard until the storm passed. Then he and Clarke would decide how to "handle the situation."

Brea seemed to accept the answer but, like me, didn't approve. She remained silent in the seconds that followed. She rested her head against Monty's shoulder and even smiled when he wrapped an arm around her. For a second she looked genuinely happy, even despite the inevitable pain she must have been feeling. My mind flashed back to the night we had hid out in the bunker. When she had told me Bellamy kissed her, I was happy and I thought she was too. But maybe I was wrong.

"Brea…" Clarke grabbed her attention.

"I don't remember." Brea mumbled.

Finn moved towards her. "You don't have to be afraid anymore. You're safe now."

"I don't remember what happened, Finn." She repeated as she dropped her gaze to her lap.

"What's the last thing you do remember?" I probed cautiously. I was convinced that she thought she was telling the truth but I also believed that the memories were locked away just waiting to be opened.

Brea closed her eyes for a couple moments as if she was searching for the answers on the back of her eyelids. When she finally opened her eyes, her smile disappeared and she didn't smile again for the rest of the night.

"I remember… I remember leaving Octavia, Murphy, and Solstice by the bunker and then I… I ran."

My heart dropped to my stomach as Clarke looked at me for conformation. I shook my head and dropped my gaze to the floor.

"Can you remember what happened after that?" I questioned as I met Brea's eyes.

"I… ran for a long time. I was trying to lose the Grounders but it… it seemed like they would never give up the chase." She closed her eyes and got lost in her thoughts for a few seconds. "Then I slipped… and went over a cliff. I barely stopped myself from falling."

"That explains your sprained shoulder." Clarke paused. "But only one of them."

"What are you talking about?" Brea looked to Clarke for an explanation.

"Both of your shoulders were almost dislocated and you broke at least five fingers all together." Clarke told her quietly.

Brea looked away. "I was only hanging on with one hand and I couldn't use the other one. I don't remember why."

I sucked in a silent breath as Jasper grabbed my arm lightly. "You need to tell her."

I nodded but couldn't make the words fit together in a sentence. Brea grunted as she leaned forward and her eyes locked onto me.

"Tell me what?"

The question hung in the air as I gathered the will to deliver the first dose of the truth. "Solstice didn't come back with us, Brea. She went with you to lead the Grounders away."

"You're lying." Brea gave it her best attempt to square her shoulders. "I made her stay with you guys. Why would… why would you lie to me about something like this?"

I stepped back. Brea must have known that I was telling the truth because she began to cry. The tears glistened on her cheeks but her eyes told me something else. She was confused and angry and I got a sudden urge to leave. I didn't want to watch how all of this was going to unfold because I knew that there was only one way it could end.

"She's not lying, Brea. Murphy and Octavia both said that you and Solstice had led the Grounders away… together." Finn took my spot next to Brea. We all waited for her to realize the truth but she didn't move or speak. Finally she shook her head.

"No," was all she could manage.

Finn reached for her but she pulled her hand out of his reach. She sat up straighter, no longer using Monty for support, and shook her head again.

"Brea, listen to me." Clarke drew Brea's attention to her but she didn't try to reach for her like Finn had. "You know we would never do anything to hurt you. And we don't know that Solstice is dead but what we do know is that she never came back. Not with Octavia and not with you."

"She didn't go with me! She tried to but I wouldn't let her because it was dangerous and I swore to myself that i would never let her get hurt." Brea swiped the tears off her cheeks. "And if she had been with me, she would have been the one to pull me up on that cliff. But she wasn't there so she couldn't help me. I did it myself."

"The only way you could have sustained those shoulder injuries is if something was pulling on you." Clarke stopped there. I don't think anyone wanted to say the conclusion out loud.

"What are you saying?!" Brea narrowed her eyes.

"I'm just asking you to try and remember what really happened." Clarke's voice was demanding but soft at the same time. It reminded me of the way my mother used to talk to me sometimes.

"I can't." Brea breathed.

I grabbed onto Clarke's arm and pulled her out of hearing distance once I realized what was really going on.

"She doesn't want to remember. She has to be blocking it out." I whispered just loud enough for Clarke to hear me.

"I know. " Clarke's eyes flickered over my shoulder. "It's a coping mechanism."

I swallowed. "We're going to have to make her remember, aren't we?"

"We don't have any other choice. The sooner she figures out the truth, the better. At least she'll have us to help her through it if worse comes to worst."

"And what if she doesn't want our help?" I raised an eyebrow. It was a possibility. I wasn't the only person who noticed how often Brea ran away. And I assumed it wasn't just because she was sick of being stuck in the camp. She was running away from something else.

Clarke threw me a concerned look but didn't respond. She walked past me back to Brea who was still refraining from speaking. I ran my fingers through my knotted hair with a huff. I returned to the crowd just in time to hear another one of Clarke's attempts.

Brea fell silent again for several minutes. "I don't remember what happened."

I came up beside her quietly. "You saved me, Brea. You both did, you and Solstice. And I know that you might not want to think about it or remember it but if I were you, I would want to know if my best friend was dead."

"Why?" Brea pressed her lips into a thin line.

"Because if she died trying to save someone, then she had an honorable death. And I would want to find a way to make sure that I never forget what she did." I admitted in a hushed tone.

No one pressed her to come up with an answer after that. We all silently agreed to let her come to the conclusion on her own and hope for the best outcome.

It only took a couple minutes. Brea looked up from her lap and sniffled.

"She really is dead, isn't she?" Brea's took a shaky breath.

There was a short pause as everyone grasped onto the words that had been left unspoken until that moment.

"My best friend is dead because of me." Brea's voice cracked. I didn't want to believe her. I exchanged worried a glance with Clarke then Finn.

"What happened?" Clarke placed a reassuring hand on Brea's arm. I half expected her to shrink away from the touch but she remained still.

"She's dead." Brea repeated softly. She took another breath and exhaled shakily. "She's dead. Solstice is dead."

I mimicked Clarke and placed a reassuring hand on her lower arm. "Brea…"

She did yank away this time, from both of us. She dug her fingers into her braids and ducked her head as she pulled her knees to her chest. "It's not in my head. It's real. It happened. She's dead."

"Brea…" Monty stood up and came around in front of her. "You'll be okay. Just breathe."

"That's not going to help! It never helps!" She rocked back and forth. "This can't be happening again. I can't do this again. I can't."

I wasn't the only person whose concern was going through the roof. I moved towards her again, wanting to help her in any way possible.

"Brea, just talk to me. I might be able to help you." I whispered into her ear.

She threw the blankets off her lap and sprinted out of the drop ship before anyone could grab onto her. Even though she was sick she was faster than me.

I started to follow her but a hand wrapped around my arm and held me in my place. I turned to see Bellamy standing behind me. I narrowed my eyes.

"What happened to her?" He asked before I could speak.

I pulled my arm out of his hand. "She just found out that her best friend is dead."

"We need to go after her." Monty said aloud.

Clarke shook her head. "We might overwhelm her again if we all go."

"Then only one of us should go." I glanced at Bellamy to make sure he was still standing there.

"I think Monty should go." Clarke followed my gaze to my brother.

"Me too." Finn agreed quickly. Jasper supported their decision a second later.

"If I knew we were going to be voting on this, I would have brought a pencil." Bellamy scoffed quietly as he turned to Monty. "Well, go on. The Grounders are still out there."

Monty hesitated under my brothers intimidating stare but hurried past him eventually. I watched him disappear into the rain.

I turned back to Bellamy just in time to see him start towards the ladder. I grabbed onto his arm as he reached for one of the rungs. He kept his eyes on the ladder but I saw his shoulders fall slightly.

"What do you want, Octavia?" His voice was stern and tinted with misdirected frustration.

He realized his mistake almost immediately and faced me. "I'm sorry."

I force a weak understanding smile as I let go of his arm. I lowered my voice to a whisper as to not catch anyone else's attention. "I think you should stay."

"What?" His facial expression twisted with confusion.

"You should wait down here." I lowered my voice even more. "When Brea started losing it, we all tried to help her calm down, even Monty. But we couldn't do it. Do you think Monty will be able to do it on his own?"

Bellamy hesitated to answer but his face was nearly stone-like when he did. "No."

"Then don't abandon her again, Bell." I threw him a knowing look but didn't wait for him to assure me that he was staying. I joined Clarke by the radio and tried to focus on anything but my brother. I was trying to be angry at him because of what he did to the Grounder, but it was harder than I thought.

**~Bellamy~**

We only had to wait a couple minutes for Monty to return to the ship. I hung back as everyone else formed a loose circle around him. I couldn't help but notice that Brea was not with him.

"What happened?" Clarke asked first.

"Is she okay?" Finn questioned as he handed a soaking wet Monty a blanket.

"No. She won't let me help her. All she said is that she didn't want me to be dragged into her screwed up life." Monty swallowed and hugged his elbows.

I couldn't stop the corner of my lips from twitching up into a weak smile. Octavia glanced over her shoulder and after making sure I was looking at her mouthed one word.

_Go_

I exhaled as I slipped out of the drop ship, unnoticed. I didn't need to go searching for Brea in the rain. Somehow I knew exactly where she would be and how I was going to make her realize that I would never leave her again.

* * *

**The next chapter should be up next Saturday or Sunday. I most likely will be updating every weekend at the least. I hope all the readers enjoyed this chapter, the next one will be more centered on Brea's relationships and the beginning of her recovery. There also might be some revelations as well. Please follow/favorite. And remember that authors get paid in reviews. Thanks for reading!**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** This chapter is about the Brea+Bellamy=Brellamy(haha) relationship. Next chapter will most likely include Monty+Brea=Montrea(Yay or Nay?) and Murphy+Lanston=Murston(Best i could come up with). I've also updated all my original fics and published some new ones all based on TVD and The 100 so check em out if you can. Please don't forget to review/follow/favorite. Love hearing opinions. Enjoy!

**Count My Sins**

**~Bellamy~**

I took a deep breath as I sat down next to Brea. As I looked at her, I realized that she barely resembled the girl I had first met. That girl was defiant and confident in her actions. But the girl sitting beside me now, drenched head to toe, was lost. She was broken.

"I don't want to talk, Bellamy." Brea spoke just loud enough for me to hear her over the sound of the constant drizzle. The storm had begun to fade away but had definitely left its mark.

"You don't have to. All you have to do is listen." I glanced at her again but her gaze was fixed on the ground.

"What are you getting out of this?" Her voice had dropped to a whisper.

I turned my head and met her unfocused misty brown eyes. "What do you mean?"

"Helping me. What are you getting from it?"

"I get to know that you're safe and not wandering around the forest alone." I don't know if she believed me but she did seem slightly surprised by my response.

She sniffled quietly as she began to bite her fingernails. "Why do you care about what happens to me?"

"Because I..." I hesitated to finish my sentence. I never planned for this to happen. I didn't think I could ever really notice someone like I had noticed Brea. She snuck up on me. My urge to protect her surprised me. And I knew exactly what I wanted to tell her but saying the truth out loud made it real and in turn exposed a weakness. So I swallowed the truth. "It's kind of my job to protect you just like it's my job to protect everyone in that camp."

I waited for a witty remark or any type of response but Brea remained scarily silent. She didn't nod or shake her head to show her opinion; she just sat there staring into the darkened forest ahead of us.

"I came out here to help you so let me help you." I was at a loss. Walking through camp I thought I had it all figured out. I knew I was going to tell her that she meant something to me, that I really did care about her. Then she was going to come back to camp with me and after getting her situated on the ship, I would lay down and take her in my arms so I could whisper my promise in her ear. The promise that I would abandon her again and no matter what she did or who she ended up choosing, I would always be there for her.I would tell her that I had made my choice and it was her.

But that preparation became worthless when I saw her sitting there soaking wet and alone. I realized that my promises and reassuring words wasn't going to be enough to make her want to return to camp with me. I realized that I was going to have to work for it. I was going to have to help her fight whatever demons she was trying to conquer.

"Do you trust me?" I returned my attention to Brea.

She turned her head and her brown eyes met mine. I couldn't tell what she was thinking as I willed myself to hold her gaze. A tiny wave of relief flooded over me when she gave a miniscule nod. If I hadn't been watching so closely, I would have missed it.

"Yes." Her voice was husky.

"Good." The corner of my lips quirked as I stood up and offered my hand. Brea narrowed her eyes as she looked from my hand to me.

"I'm not going back." She mumbled.

I leaned over her slightly and lowered my voice to a whisper as if what I was going to tell her was a secret that I only trusted with her. I had done it before, gotten too close for comfort. But unlike those other times, she didn't get nervous. She barely reacted at all. "We're not going back to camp."

She took my hand warily and let me pull her to her feet. She let go the second she was on her feet.

"Come on. I want to show you something." I placed a light hand on the small of her back. My touch usually made her squirm but that night it was as if she couldn't care less if I was touching her.

I stayed by her side as I guided her between the trees. She didn't react at all, to anything as we walked. Her clothes and hair were dripping wet but she wasn't shaking. I had a firm hand on her back but she didn't shy away. She was still distracted by something but she was no longer crying. I felt like she had switched personalities with someone and that I would return to camp only to find the real Brea sitting and talking with her friends.

I needed to get her through this but I knew it wasn't going to be an easy feat. She had lost a long time friend. Most likely, she had watched Solstice die. I knew from experience that it was never easy to move past something like that. Another overwhelming urge to save her hit me like a brick wall and this time I had no intention of ignoring it.

We walked for several uninterrupted minutes. I knew exactly where I was going. "We're almost there."

I glanced down at Brea. She had kept up with me while we walked but her expression told me she didn't want to be there.

"Do you remember when the acid fog rolled over camp and you had to hide in the ship overnight?"

She gave a half-hearted nod.

As we rounded a large tree, I pursed my lips. "Well, I was out hunting when it caught up to us. I was with Charlotte and Atom and Miller and some other guys when we had to try to outrun the fog. Charlotte and I made it into a cave and I just assumed that Atom had found refuge with Miller and the others after we got separated. But the next morning Charlotte found him. He was covered in burns head to toe. He was dying, Brea, and no matter how much I wanted to help him find a way to live I knew it wasn't wgoing to be possible. For once, I found that I was completely useless. Nothing I could do would save him and I hated myself because of that. I had to watch my friend die because I couldn't save him."

I stopped in my tracks and nodded at the floor a couple feet from us. "I made a promise to myself that day that I would never let someone fade away like I had let Atom fade away."

I turned to see that Brea was already watching me. "You shouldn't make promises you can't keep."

"But I intend to keep that promise." I grabbed onto her shoulders lightly and made her face me again. "I'm going to keep that promise with you, Brea."

Her expression turned to stone. "Like I said before, don't make promises you can't keep."

"If you talk to me, if you let me in, I could keep my promise." I told her quickly. I was hoping to make at least a little headway.

"Do you think getting me to talk about it will somehow make everything okay again?" She scoffed as she stepped back. "Do you think that if I admitted my best friend is dead because of me and that I hate myself for letting her that it would make this all better? You think that would finally fix me?"

I took a step towards her. "You don't need to be fixed, Brea. I think you're perfect the way you are but I do think that you need help to get through this. You can't do this alone."

The forest went eerily silent for a couple moments and I held my breath. The rain seemed to realize what was going on because at that moment, it ceased.

"The doctors on the Ark had the exact same opinion. So, they made me talk about all my 'deeply rooted problems' with some lady whose only response was to shove another pill bottle in my hand. That didn't help then and it isn't going to help now."

Pills. The doctor had put her on medication. Why? Was she sick? To me, she never looked or acted sick. If anything she looked scared. It wasn't until that moment that I figured out she was scared of her own thoughts.

"Why did they think you needed to take medication?" I wasn't sure if asking the question was such a good idea but I swallowed my hesitation because I had to know.

Brea met my eyes for a split second before shaking her head and looking away again. I leaned over her slightly. "Do you trust me?"

She sucked in a quiet breath as her gaze lifted slowly. "Yes."

"If you can't talk about this with someone you do trust then who else could you talk to?"

She hesitated to answer and that told me she didn't reject the idea right away. She was debating on telling me.

I let the seconds tick by without pressing her for a response. I didn't want to force her to tell me anything. I wanted her to feel the need to tell me.

"They called it PTSD." Brea bit her lip. "They wanted to anyways."

I had heard about the disorder in school. "Post-traumatic stress disorder."

"After all the floatings I started getting these painful headaches that would be followed by really vivid flashbacks. They were just memories but they felt so real that sometimes I would wake up in my cell crying or screaming their names. At first I thought they were just dreams since it only happened at night. But then they started happening during the day and I knew that something else was going on. The doctors diagnosed me pretty quickly. Apparently PTSD is a common disorder on the Ark. The pills didn't work though. They would dull everything but the flashbacks didn't stop. I stopped the medication and gradually, the headaches and flashbacks stopped." Brea kept her eyes glued to the floor as she spoke but I could tell that it was a struggle for her to talk about it. "They just started up again."

"That's why you sneak off at night." I realized everything she did had a reason behind it. She nodded, confirming my belief. "Did it happen tonight?"

"I was expecting it." She started walking towards the middle of the clearing slowly. "But surprisingly, no."

"The flashbacks started the night that Charlotte died, didn't they?" I remembered how upset she had been after Charlotte jumped.

Brea nodded again. "I don't like the memories. I don't want to see their faces every time I close my eyes. And it's a constant battle; it's a constant war between remembering and forgetting. I'm sick of feeling crazy because I have to fight this battle every fucking day."

Her back was turned to me but I could see shoulders shake. She was crying again.

"You're not insane, Brea." I moved towards her slowly. "You miss your family and friends and that's perfectly normal."

"Do you still think about your mom?" She looked at me with her brown eyes.

Sore topic. One I had been trying to avoid talking about for months. One that I thought I'd only be comfortable discussing with my sister. But when Brea asked me the dreaded question, I felt the sudden urge to follow my own advice. I knew I could trust her enough to do it.

"Everyday." I admitted "And I think the fact that, like your parents, she didn't deserve to be floated makes it harder for me and my sister."

Her expression contorted with a familiar emotion. Guilt. "A part of me thinks that they did deserve it. I think we all did."

My eyebrows pinched together. "What do you mean?"

"They knew the danger they were putting everyone in. They knew we would all get floated for trying to reveal the truth." Brea wiped her nose abruptly as a quiet shook her body again. "And I knew. I knew about all of it and I could have tried to stop them but I didn't even try."

"Because you thought they were doing the right thing and you…"

"I let them die for it just like I let Solstice die for me." Brea nodded weakly and hugged her arms. She was pursing her lips as if their quivering was the only thing giving away the fact that she was crying.

"You couldn't control what the council was going to do and you couldn't control Solstice. None of this is your fault." I put my grabbed onto her arms intending to keep her from running away. "I think the guilt is the source of the flashbacks. You need to let go of the guilt or you will never be able to stop them. Let me help you get through this."

I reached for her hand cautiously knowing there was only two ways she could react. I was slightly surprised when she didn't pull her hand away as I intertwined our fingers. She kept her eyes locked on our hands as the tears continued to spill onto her cheeks. She took a deep breath and met my eyes again. "I can't do this Bellamy. Not with you."

I felt like someone dropped a ten pound weight on my chest but I didn't let go of her hand. It was the last thing I wanted to do.

"I didn't let Monty help me because I didn't want to drag him into this. I care about him too much to do that to him. And I appreciate your attempt to help me but I can't do this to you either." I knew she left the last part unstated on purpose. But that knowledge renewed my need to help her.

Brea finally shied away. She pulled her hand out of mine and broke our eye contact. I stepped closer to her but didn't try to reach for her again. "I'm here because I'm willing to be pulled into it. I'm willing to do it for you and only you, Brea."

"Why?" Brea dug her fingers into her hair but didn't try to put more distance between us like I expected. "Why do you care so much?"

I swallowed. I wanted to follow my advice again and tell her the truth; all the truths that I had planned on telling her earlier. But something kept whispering in my to avoid the question for as long as possible. Listening to that whisper was definitely a mistake. "Because you're my friend."

"Well, I have enough _friends_, Bellamy." She croaked quietly.

"So, you're not going to admit that you need help?"

"I can do this on my own. I don't need someone to hold my hand through all of this." She retorted.

"Yes, you do!" I raised my voice slightly as a surge of frustration hit me. "I went from having a sister and a mother to having no one, all in one day. I wish I had someone who cared enough to try to help me the way I'm trying to help you because God knows I needed it."

"I'm not you."

"Not yet. But with the way you're headed, you'll practically be me in a few weeks. I guarantee it."

"You don't know that." She swiped at the tear hanging from her chin.

"I didn't want to end up like this. My mom raised me to be better than this. But look at me now." I gestured to myself.

"You're wrong," was all she managed to mumble.

"You honestly believe that?" I raised an eyebrow.

She hesitated to respond. "Yes."

I forced a weak smile. "Fine."

I turned on my heels and started back towards camp. I didn't intend on leaving Brea in the forest alone because I still wanted to keep my promise. But I knew that the way I was trying to get through to her before wasn't working. I had to change my tactics if I really wanted to help her.

"I don't want to go back." She called after me.

I paused and glanced over my shoulder. "I never wanted to force you do anything you don't want to do, Brea. I just wanted to…"

"… help." Brea ducked her head as she stared at her shoes for a few seconds. "But I don't think you can. So far, nothing has helped. Not the doctors or the pills or the therapy. Nothing. What makes you think that you could help me when no one else could?"

"Because I'm not just some shrink that's being paid to talk to you. I actually… I really do…" There it was again: the split opinion.

"Don't." Brea held up a hand. "Why do you think I haven't been so forthcoming about everything? I don't want to drag you into this. I never wanted to drag any of you into this."

"What are you so afraid to tell me?" It was the only explanation I could think of. I was convinced that there was a secret she didn't want to get out.

She looked away as she took a shaky breath through her clenched teeth. "I have a five year old daughter up on the Ark. And because I didn't stop my parent's plan, she might never get to see me again. She'll have to live with those strangers for the rest of her life and I know that eventually, she'll come to call them her family. And it's all because of me. Everything that's happened is because of me."

Brea could barely get out the last couple sentences because she kept getting choking on her tears. I was slightly surprised by the news she had dropped on me but I pushed that to the back of my head because I had made my final decision.

I walked straight up to her and cupped her tear stained face in my hands. "My mother was floated because I tried to sneak my sister out to go to a stupid party. Octavia was caught that night and my mom was floated the next day. It was entirely my fault and I was convinced that I was going to have to live with that guilt for the rest of my life. But right before my mom walked into the floating chamber, you know what she asked me to do? She asked me to let go of my guilt. She begged me to forgive myself for what I had done so that I wouldn't have to dwell on it for the rest of my life. She _wanted_ me to abandon it right there so she could die knowing that I wasn't carrying that burden anymore."

Brea's lip quivered as she squeezed her eyes shut. I traced the curve of her cheek lightly. "Your parents did what they did to protect you, Brea, because they love you. And I know that as the people who loved you the most in the world, they would have wanted you to let go of the guilt. They would have wanted you to move on."

She lifted her head and stared at me. I could see she was struggling to keep the composure she had just regained. Her chin was quivering and her eyes were puffy from crying but she held my gaze.

"Just let it go." I whispered just loud enough for her to hear. I pulled her to my chest, keeping one arm wrapped around her back and one loosely clasped around her head.

When she finally let go, she tangled her fingers in my shirt while burying her face in my chest. I could feel her tears beginning to soak through my clothes but I didn't care. I held her as close to me as I could, leaving no space between us. I smoothed back all the hair that had fallen out of her braids and rested my cheek on the top of her head. I think she was that she was safe in my arms because she eventually released my shirt and slipped her arms around my back.

She cried for what felt like hours. When I started getting tired from standing, I picked her up and sat down under one of the trees surrounding us. She curled up in my lap as she kept her face hidden in my shirt. She was sobbing harder than before, her body shuddering with each one. I kept both hands on her even after she fell asleep, her face stained with tears.

**~Brea~**

My whole body hurt. It felt like every muscle had been pounded by a mallet but somehow I knew it was time to wake up. I wanted to start assessing the damage that I must have caused the night before.

But when I finally managed to force open my eyes, I realized that I was no longer in the forest encompassed in Bellamy's protective arms like I had expected and slightly hoped to be. Instead, I was in a tent. I was back at camp.

A sudden rush of recollections hit me like a brick wall. Bellamy must have carried me all the way back after I fell asleep. And that was after he purposely stayed with me as I went through a mental breakdown. He stayed with me even though I had tried to get rid of him like I had done so successfully with Monty. But instead of going back to the ship and leaving me alone to deal with it, he stayed. He stayed and made me grasp what I needed to. He helped me when no one else could.

There was more than just one side to Bellamy Blake. He wasn't just the typical revolutionary. I realized the night before that there was a lot I didn't know about him. But I wanted to know.

I doubled over slightly with a sigh and ran my hand over my head before burying my face back in my pillow.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer:** I do not own the 100

**A/N:** This chapter is set the day before Day Trip. Deals with some of the aftermath and relationships/friendships. Please follow/favorite/review! Enjoy!

**Master Plan**

**~Brea~**

"Clarke would freak if she saw you out of bed."

The corner of my lips twitched. "I don't think she has time to worry about me right now."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Bellamy stepped closer to me. I found it easy to ignore the small urge to move away from him.

I slid a glance his way. "Let me guess… she sent you to check up on me."

He nodded and moved even close. "She knew you would be itching to move around."

I knew I had to curb his advances even though a part of me didn't want to. "Monty was keeping me occupied."

Silence. Bellamy looked at me and didn't look away until I turned to him. "What?"

"Nothing." He responded before he spun around and walked away.

I watched him stride towards the center of camp. He never paused but after a few seconds he turned his head. "Get back in bed before Clarke sees you."

I let out a quick sigh and did as he said. I knew he wasn't kidding about Clarke. She wouldn't have been too happy seeing me out on a walk for no other reason than I was tired of being confined in my tent.

I ducked my head as I slipped through my tent's flap. For now, I had the thing to myself but I would have to get a roommate eventually. I dropped down on my bed and pulled a blanket over my stomach. I let out a deep breath as I leaned my head back. Just walking around for a couple minutes had caused my cut to start throbbing. It was still a partly opened wound but I didn't want Clarke to waste vital first aide tools on me. She wrapped my stomach with a thick bandage and prescribed a lot of rest. I didn't like the idea of being bed ridden for longer than an hour.

"Hey, cripple."

I lifted my head enough to see Finn enter my tent. I shot him a look. "Not funny."

"Here." Finn held out a metal canteen as he sat down beside me. I gave it a curious glance. "Moonshine. Monty said you could use some."

I pushed myself up onto my elbows with little struggle and took the canteen out of his hand. "He's already made another batch?"

"Yeah. He's practicing for Unity Day." Finn shrugged before sitting back.

I hesitated as I put the canteen to my lips. "I completely forgot about that."

I lifted the canteen until the alcohol spilled into my mouth. I swallowed despite the strong taste. I couldn't help but flinch subtly as it ran down my throat. Finn looked amused as he took back the canteen. "Too strong?"

"No. Just not used to it yet." I wiped the back of my hand over my lips.

The tent fell silent as Finn took a long drink from the canteen. By the looks of it, he had grown very accustomed to the taste. I pulled a cluster of blankets behind me and leaned against it slowly. Finn rested the canteen against his leg as he screwed on the lid. There had been one question at the back of my mind since I woke up but I didn't know who I could ask without misinterpretation. Finn was one of my closest friends so I knew that if there were anybody I could ask, it would be him.

"Have you seen Murphy?" I raised my eyes to Finn. He held my gaze for a few seconds before letting it fall to the floor. I could tell he was hesitating to tell me.

"He's gone." Finn muttered under his breath.

I sat up a little straighter and leaned forward. "Why? Did he choose to leave or something?"

"No." Finn paused as he looked up at me again. "Bellamy and Clarke made him leave."

"Why?"

"He was banished for a reason, Brea. They couldn't pardon him just because he did one good deed." Finn explained in a hushed tone as if he was afraid someone would hear.

"One good deed?" I scoffed quietly. "He practically saved Octavia… and me. That's one hell of a deed."

"I know. But he's already gone." Finn offered me another drink but I shook my head curtly.

I stumbled to my feet and started out of the tent. I could hear Finn following me but I didn't slow down. I hurried through camp, keeping my eyes peeled for one person. It only took me a couple seconds to spot Bellamy. I didn't hesitate to stride up to him and interrupt the conversation he was having.

"You really are a piece of work, you know that?" I folded my arms over my chest as he turned to me.

His lips twitched up into an amused smile. "I'm sorry?"

I leaned in slightly, ignoring my conscious' objections. "You know that the Grounders have no problem killing us and yet you still sent Murphy out there even after he saved your sister!"

"He killed Charlotte!" Bellamy glared.

"You know that he was not the only one responsible for that. He carried your sister all the way back to camp while Grounders were out there ready to kill him. If that isn't enough to earn his way back into this camp, then what is?"

"Clarke and I made the decision to banish him. We're not going to pardon him." Bellamy told me before turning around and starting off in the opposite direction.

I hurried to cut him off. "So, instead you just sent him out there while the Grounders are hunting us. Did he even have a way to protect himself?"

"No." Bellamy paused. "But he'll be fine. He knows how to protect himself."

"You pretty much sent him to his death." I shook my head and started to walk away. I was jerked back lightly when he grabbed my arm.

"Not completely. Clarke and I decided that while he couldn't come back to camp, he could stay close enough to receive handouts from anyone who's willing." Bellamy let out a deep breath as I raised an eyebrow.

"Handouts?"

"Food, water, and so on."

I was surprised by the news but definitely appreciative. "Thank Clarke for me."

"What about me?" Bellamy took a step towards me and I managed not to shy away.

"I have a feeling that you weren't the one to propose the idea." I explained quickly before continuing on my way. I needed to find something to take beyond the wall with me; food, water, blankets, or anything that else we could spare.

"You're welcome." Bellamy called out causing me to turn to him.

"For what?"

"For helping you." Bellamy closed the distance between us with two long steps. "I know you probably want to forget what happened out there but that's not going to be possible and we both know it. I was the only one that was able to help you. Don't you think that means something?"

"Thank you, Bellamy, for what you did for me that night. I honestly don't think I could have gotten through that without you and yes, I do think what happened makes it evident that we have some type of connection." I hesitated when Bellamy smiled lightly. I loved that smile and I didn't want to be the one to make it fade away. "I'm not ever going to deny that I don't feel something for you but I need to keep my distance because I like Monty… a lot and I'm almost positive that I am slowly falling in love with him. I don't want whatever _this_," I gestured to him, "is to jeopardize what I have with him. I'm sorry, Bellamy."

I didn't wait to see his reaction because I knew I'd feel nothing but guilt. And regret. They were the two most vulnerable emotions I could feel at that moment. I didn't want to doubt my choice but Bellamy would make me do that. He always made me doubt things I thought were certain.

* * *

I winced as I pulled my pack onto my shoulder. Most of my injuries were almost healed but the long cut on my stomach was still hurting sometimes. I had waited until nightfall to pack up some food and water and prepare to leave. I think Clarke was getting suspicious and I didn't need her or anyone else following me out to meet Murphy.

The camp was only half awake by the time I ducked out of my tent and headed for the wall. I was just thankful that Monty was too busy making moonshine to come and watch over me like the day before. I walked through camp as quietly as I could and slipped through the doors of the wall. I knew it would have been smart to bring a flashlight but I didn't want to bring any extra attention to myself while walking through the woods on my own.

I started in the direction of the place where I had told Murphy about Skylynn. I knew that if I could find him anywhere, it would be there. But when I finally got there, I saw no sign of Murphy. It looked like no one had been to the clearing since we left. At least, that's what I thought at first. As I looked around, I realized that the supplies I had hid were no longer under the bush.

That's when I spotted a puddle of red half hidden under some leaves. I knelt beside the spot of crimson liquid and dipped my fingertips in the small pool. When I drew back my arm I saw that it was definitely blood. I got to my feet and searched for a trail to follow. I found two other smaller puddles leading away from camp but the blood trail ended just as abruptly as it started. But I knew that the way the trail had started off was in the direction of the Grounders territory. I didn't have to be told what had happened to Murphy.

I ran all the way back to camp, the blood still on my fingers.

* * *

"Clarke! Bellamy!" I called out as I slipped through the wall. I was forced to stop when someone grabbed onto my arm.

"Brea, what is it?"

I turned quickly to see Finn holding my arm. I glanced around hoping that Clarke would be nearby. When I saw she wasn't, I returned my attention to Finn. "Where's Clarke?"

Finn's eyebrows pinched together. "I don't know. She might be sleeping in her tent."

I headed straight to Clarke's tent, knowing it was my best shot.

"Clarke!" I called out as I ducked through the flaps. I let out a silent sigh of relief when I saw her lying on the floor. But I could tell she was not as happy that I was interrupting probably the first time she's been able to shut her eyes for more than a few moments.

Her subtly aggravation quickly turned into concern when she saw it was me. "What's wrong?"

I held up my fingers hoping she could see the blood in the dim lighting. "I think Murphy's been taken by the Grounders."

Clarke got to her knees as quickly as she could. Her eyes were still heavy with sleep but she kept them open. "What?"

"I went to give him some stuff and I found blood." I told her quickly. "It has to be his."

"How do you know?" Clarke raised her gaze to meet mine.

I knew I didn't have any concrete evidence to back up my claim. "I just do."

"Brea…" She gave me another concerned look.

"Look, all I'm asking is for you to trust me. Just take a leap of faith this once and if I'm wrong then I swear you never have to trust me again. Please, Clarke." I leaned forward slightly as I waited for her response.

"Fine." Clarke finally gave in. "But even if it was him, what do you think we could do to help him? We can't go looking for him. It'd be suicide."

"I… I don't know. I just—"

"—What's going on?" Bellamy's head popped into the tent. "Finn said you were looking for me."

I scooted towards Clarke as Bellamy came into the tent. Clarke gave me a warning glance and I realized that bringing up the idea of saving Murphy would not go over well with Bellamy. "Murphy was taken by Grounders."

"And…?" Bellamy shrugged.

"…And he's hurt. I found blood. It could only be his." I clarified in a hushed tone.

Bellamy opened his mouth but Clarke spoke up before he could. "I already told her we can't go after him."

"So, case closed?" Bellamy raised an eyebrow.

"No! Murphy might have been banished but we all know that he was not entirely at fault for Charlotte's death. And he definitely does not deserve to be killed by Grounders." I told them as I wiped the blood off my fingers.

"There's nothing we can do now, Spitfire." Bellamy addressed me using the nickname I had grown to hate. "He's long gone."

He got up and started out of the tent. I got to my feet and followed him quickly. "Bellamy, wait!"

He turned to face me suddenly. He walked up to me until our chests touched lightly. "And I swear if you try to go after him I will lock you in that drop ship and I will not let you out until we find his body. Do you hear me?"

I grit my teeth as I exhaled noiselessly. "Yes."

"I'm not going to let anyone die for him. Especially not you." Bellamy whispered as he held my gaze for a few more seconds. He walked away before I could respond in any way.

I watched him in silence as he disappeared around a group of smaller tents. Clarke sidled up beside me, her eyes glued to the spot Bellamy had just been. "I didn't think it was possible."

"What?" I slid a glance to my left.

"That he would actually be able to care about someone other than himself and his sister." Clarke responded as she met my gaze. "You bring out the best in him."

"I'm with Monty." I breathed. Saying it aloud didn't help much.

"I know." Clarke nodded as her expression softened. "I'm not a fan of Murphy but what you were right in there. He doesn't deserve to be tortured by Grounders."

"So, you'll help me?"

"I'm going to try." She corrected. It was going to have to be enough. Bellamy would definitely keep his promise but so would Clarke.

"Thank you." I gave her a small smile.

"What's going on with the two of you anyways?"

I raised an eyebrow as I peered over at her. "Who?"

"You and Murphy. It just… it seems like something must have happened with you two." Clarke explained in a hushed tone.

"It's not like that." I told her quickly when I realized the underlying meaning to her realization. "I trust him. That's it."

Clarke nodded, accepting the answer.

"I need to get some sleep." Clarke gestured over her shoulder at her tent. "Raven finally got video working on the radio. I have to talk to the Chancellor before letting everyone else talk with their parents."

"We'll actually be able to see them?" I grabbed her arm before she could walk away.

"Yeah, uh… Raven said it works perfectly fine."

"Sleep tight." I smiled at Clarke before walking off in the opposite direction.

With the video and radio working I would finally be able to talk to Skylynn. I would be able to see her face, listen to her voice, and hear her laugh. I would finally be able to tell her that I love her and that I never meant to abandon her.

I felt someone grab my arm before being whisked into a spot where the firelight didn't quite reach. I raised an eyebrow when I saw who grabbed me. "Octavia?"

She glanced around as if she was looking for someone. Her brother.

"I wanted to ask you something." She turned her attention back to me.

I didn't even know what to expect from the youngest Blake sibling. "I… uh… sure."

"Do you remember what the Grounder did for you?" Octavia gestured to the drop ship. I remembered being told that Bellamy still had the Grounder locked up inside.

It was a simple question but there was no simple answer. Even though the whole night was still a little hazy I still got snippets of information about extra details that I never really thought about.

"I remember waking up in the forest dazed and the spear missing from my side." I admitted quietly.

"You know that he tried to help you, right? He was the one who wanted to cure you." Octavia whispered.

"Yes, I know. What about it?" I narrowed my eyes.

"He's in there," Octavia pointed to the drop ship again, "suffering even though the only reason he was able to get caught was because he was trying to—"

"— Save me. I get it." I sighed. "Is there something you were going to ask me or do we have to play twenty questions?"

Octavia hesitated for a while. It was obvious that she was having a hard time deciding what exactly she wanted to say and I was prepared for the worst. At least I thought I was.

"I want you to help me break him out of here."

I did a double take. "Hold up. You want me to do what?"

"I need your help to get him out of here, Brea. You're the only person I could trust with this." Octavia gave me one of her famous puppy-dog looks. It always reminded me of my daughter.

I swallowed, inhaled slowly, and then exhaled slowly. It was a process. "Fine."

It was the right thing to do. While there were arguments from both sides filling my head, I knew which one I was ready to chose. But there was no going back. Not with Octavia in the mix.

"You'll do it?" Octavia smiled.

"Yes. I'll do it." I nodded and returned her smile.

"Oh my god. Thank you, thank you, thank you!" Octavia repeated as she flung her arms around my neck. I had to take a step back to steady myself as I hugged her back.

"You're welcome." I replied. She pulled away, happy expression still intact. "So, how are we going to do this exactly?"


End file.
